Monday, october 28, 2013

Reps probe major IOCs over local content violation

…Korean firm, others risk loss of oil deals FG subsidy on petrol falls to N1.6bn daily UDEME AKPAN AND TORDUE SALEM Tambuwal

Vol. 3 N0. 709

T

he House of Representatives Committee on Local

Content has launched a probe into allegations that major oil and gas compaCONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

Tukur

PDP crisis, a threat to Nigeria's economic development –Khan P.4

Monday, October 28, 2013

N255m armoured cars:

N150 OBIORA IFOH, FELIX NWANERI, OLUSEGUN KOIKI, TORDUE SALEM AND AZA MSUE

Presidency wants soft D landing for Oduah Criticisms against minister tagetted at Jonathan –Kinsmen Aviation unions to meet professionals, stakeholders over crisis

espite setting up an investigative panel to probe the purchase of two armoured cars at an inflated cost of N255m by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Agency, NCAA, the Presidency is discreetly rallying support to save the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah.

The leadership of the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

Obama

Nigerian Embassy protests US Senator's slander P.49

President Goodluck Jonathan with ministers and governors cutting a cake designed in Nigerian colours in Jerusalem, yesterday.

THE

BUSINESS SECTION

Nigeria economy creates 431,021 jobs in Q1 –NBS NNPC awards contract for repair of Warri Refinery P.6,11

Free ee insi inside ide

Na'Abba, Balat, Adeniji make ministerial list

THOSE WHO NOMINATED CADIDATES:

•Namadi Sambo •Godswill Akpabio ...as SSS begins screening of nominees •Iyiola Omisore G7 governors sidelined in nomination P.5 •Bamanga Tukur

Oil theft: Navy arrests 3 Ghanaians, 9 others

P.11

2

News

Monday, October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Presidency wants soft landing for Oduah

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and her kinsmen have also embarked on several efforts to save Oduah’s job.

A lobby team has also been put in place by the minister to ensure that she retains her position while several amorphous groups have been formed to protest against her planned sack, saying President Goodluck Jonathan was the main target.

Contrary to insinuation that the Aviation Minister was prevented from seeing President Jonathan in Israel where he had gone for pilgrimage, a senior aide of the President and a serving governor on the President’s entourage had facilitated a meeting between the President and Oduah.

“President Jonathan and Oduah met in Israel, but that is not to say that Mr. Jonathan has given her a clean bill of health. He will await the outcome of the panel’s finding,” the source said.

A member of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Aviation, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed to National Mirror yesterday that "The President's men are trying to reach out to the Committee to tone down on its probe."

The former Head of Service of the Federation,

Alhaji Isa Bello Sali, heads the three-man investigation panel. The two other members of the panel are National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) and Air Vice Marshal Dick Iruenaberi.

The panel is to submit its report within two weeks while the secretariat of the panel will be provided by the office of the NSA. The Bureau for Public Procurement, BPP, had last week testified that the controversial purchase of two bulletproof BMW cars for Oduah breached the Public Procurement Act. The minister is billed to appear before the House committee by tomorrow.

Also, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has said that President Jonathan may become an accessory to corruption if he continues along his current path of shielding Aviation Minister, Oduah, from the consequences of the massive corruption and abuse of office over the purchase of two armoured cars at an inflated cost of N255m and without following due process.

In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said it reached that conclusion after juxtaposing the evi-

dence that have come out on the scandal against the actions so far taken by the President.

The party said: “It has now emerged that the money spent to purchase the armoured cars was not appropriated, which is a violation of the Nigerian Constitution; that due process was not followed in buying the cars, as the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, has testified, and that the Minister – who was said to have approved the purchase - violated the law by approving an expenditure over the N100 million limit.

“These revelations make

the Oduahgate a straightforward case that should have been summarily dealt with by the President. Instead, he has engaged himself in a rigmarole by setting up a diversionary administrative panel in what is now looking like an orchestrated ploy to buy time, hoping this issue will die down and the minister will escape being sanctioned.

“Unfortunately for Mr. President, Oduahgate is not just another scandal, but a referendum on his administration's fight against corruption, and on the legacy he intends to leave in this critical area.”

The party also accused the President of thumbing his nose at Nigerians, who have expressed outrage at the action of the minister, by approving for her to travel to Israel to sign bilateral agreement.

“No one believes the dummy that is being sold to the public, that the minister was denied access to the President in Israel. The egregious act of putting the minister on his entourage, at a time she is at the centre of a terrible scandal, calls to question the President's sense of propriety and his commitment to the war against corruption.

“This indecorous action of making a minister, who is under investigation for monumental corruption and abuse of office one of the faces of Nigeria in a foreign land is an embarrassment to the country and its people, and a further dent on the poor image of the Jonathan administration. We condemn it most whole-heartedly. We now understand why corruption has grown wings under the Jonathan Presidency, and why the administration may well go down as the most corrupt in the country's history,” APC said.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

L-R: Executive Director, Human Resources and Customer Services, UBA Plc, Obi Ibekwe; Group Managing Director, Mr. Phillips Oduoza; Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Cote d’Ivoire, Mr. Daniel Kablan Duncan; Managing Director, UBA Cote d’Ivoire, Mr. Franklin Erebor and Chairman, Mr. Kouame Kouassi, after a discussion between UBA and the government of Cote d’Ivoire on project financing in Abidjan on Friday.

Reps probe major IOCs over local content violation CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

nies breached the Local Content Law, which was passed in 2010 to protect Nigerian oil and gas businesses and interests.

A source in the Committee told National Mirror that a Korean Company without assets in the country, as required by the Local Content Law, has executed over $8bn worth of contract in the country.

The local content law states that: “All regulatory authorities, operators, contractors, subcontractors, alliance partners and other entities involved in any project, operation, activity or transaction in the Nigerian oil and gas industry shall consider Nigerian content as an important element of their overall project development and management philosophy for project execution.”

When contacted, the Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Nasir Ali

Ahmed (APC-Kano), confirmed that the committee, as part of its oversight function is investigating all the major players in the oil and gas industry in order to lay bare sundry breaches of the law.

“We have discovered that the Local Content Act has been seriously violated by these International Oil Companies, IOCs, and we have summoned them to come and explain,” he said.

Though the lawmaker did not disclose details, he however said mind-boggling details of the breach would emerge in the course of the probe exercise which has since begun.

Section 3 (2) of the Act states that: “There shall be given exclusive consideration to Nigerian indigenous service companies which demonstrate ownership of equipment, Nigerian personnel and capacity to execute such work bid

on swamp operating areas of the Nigerian oil and gas industry for contracts and services contained in the schedule to this Act.” Section 68 of the Act also said: “An operator, contractor or subcontractor who carries out any project contrary to the provisions of this Act, commits an offense and is liable upon conviction to a fine of five per cent of the project sum for each project in which the offense is committed or cancellation of project.”

Section 1 states that: “Notwithstanding anything contrary contained in the Petroleum Act or in any other enactment or law, the provisions of this act shall apply to all matters pertaining to Nigerian content in respect of all operations or transactions carried out in or connected with the Nigerian oil and gas industry.”

The Local Content Act was passed in the 6th As-

sembly and signed into law

by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Meanwhile, the Federal government subsidy on petrol has crashed from N1.9bn to N1.6bn daily between September and October this year, based on a monthly consumption of 36 million liters across the country.

Available data showed that the government subsidy on the product which stood at N53.53 per litre in September this year has crashed to N44.09 per liter, showing a fall of about 20 per cent.

A breakdown of the latest Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, data showed that unlike September when landing cost, including cost and insurance, traders margin, lightering expenses, NPA, financing, jetty depot put charge and storage charge amounted to N135.04, the landing cost for the

month of October stands at N125.60.

Also, while subtotal margins, including retailers, transporters, dealers, bridging fund, marine transport average and administrative charge for September amounted to N15.49, thus increasing total cost to N150.53, subtotal margins for October stands at N15.49, which shoots up total cost for the month to N141.09 per a liter.

A PPPRA source, which puts the official depot price at N81.51 per liter explained that unlike September, the price of crude oil was stable at a little over $100 per barrel.

He said: “With the price of crude stabilising at a little over $100 per barrel, refiners were able to refine petrol for sale at relatively lower cost than in September.

“Consequently, little cost was passed in form of high price to net importing nations, including Nigeria which depends on the im-

portation of commercial quantity of petrol for consumption.”

Despite the reduction in subsidy, however, the Federal Government has not been able to settle outstanding payments to major and independent petroleum marketers in the country.

The Executive Secretary of Major Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, Mr. Timothy Olawore said in a telephone interview that the government outstanding subsidy to marketers amounted to about N200bn.

He said, although the Federal Government had budgeted to spend N972.138bn on fuel subsidy this year, it has not yet cleared outstanding debt.

Olawore said the indebtedness has grossly reduced the capacity of the marketers, including Mobil, Total, MRS, Forte Oil and Conoil to import fuel in commercial quantity.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

3

Monday, October 28, 2013

63 ACCRA STREET, WUSE ZONE 5, ABUJA,

08067770999 & 08033203414 Email: niconpropertiesltd@gmail.com www.niconpropertieslimited.com.ng

LIST OF A AVAILABLE PROPERTIES

$ # !& / 1$$5 , @ *''% 1& $'3 3!, ? *''%

&+1!,

& / &, !,5 +, , 7 '#' '%

# / 68

$ # !& / & /

# /

>DED8C>+)% & >D=@8>A+)% +! &- $ $ & '* !, 7 1"

5:

Description x 5Bedroom Duple s om and 2sitting ro d2 with borehole an rs te rooms boys quar at Gwarinpa.

$ # !& / C 1&!,+ ' @ *''% , ** 1($ 4 3!, ?

$!2!& *''%7 > *''% 7 ! , ??= & * ,'*7 ? '* '$ + & $ * ( *#!& +( >+, 2 &1 3 *!%(

983

& / E &'+ @ *''% ,+ 3!, > *''% &

# / 3!%%!& (''$ $ # !& / >BC=8D@+)% +! &- $ $ & +'#'*'7 1" & / *#!

;33

# /

;3 $ # !& / @ *''% 1& $'3 3!, ? *''% $ # !& / DAC>8??+)% 1$- 1& -'& $ $ & & / 1& !,5 +, , 7 1" & /

! 9 (('+!, '& !$ $$!& +, -'&:

# /

:3

# /

933 $ $ # !& / @ 1&!,+ ' A *''% , ** '1+ +7 3 $$ $ & + ( $ # !& / 1( * &!+ C *''% 1($ 4 3!, ?

3!, ! , ,* &+ '*% *7 & * ,'*7 !& 1!$, +'1&

+5+, % & 5%

*''% 7 +3!%%!& (''$ & / ##! >7 '+ & / !, % 4, &+!'&7 1"

# / 733

# /

5:3 ! # ($ $ # !& / B *''% , 1($ 4 3!, ? *''% $ # !& / B= , * + ' ++ '1+!& $ & & / (' 9 '3 * '1+ : & / 1"

# / 463 $

# /

453 $ # !& /

& /

# /

$ # !& /

& /

# /

B *''% 1($ 47 ? $!2!& *''%+ & ? *''%+ !& 1!$, 3!, ' 1+ '& A7 &, & 3

583

$ # !& /

, +, 1$$5 &!+ B *''% 1($ 4 3!,

? *''%+ 7 $ 1& *57 5% & EE & * ,'*

& /

# /

$ #

783

$ # !& /

A? 1&!,+ ' ? *''% & > *''% $141*!'1+ ( *,% &,+

&!+ 3!, %' *& % &!- + >C= & * -& + ,

& / (' 9 +! !+$ -2 1 *, *+:

# / 406

$ # !& / A= 1&!,+ ' ? *''% ,+ '& E===+)%7 3 $$ $ & + (

3!, !&, *$' #!& -$ +7 ,* &+ '*% * & '* '$

& / 1 3

# / 983

$ # !& /

& /

# /

B *''% 1($ 47 ? $!2!& *''% & ? *''% !& 1!$, 3!, ' 1+ '& A7 &, & 3

593

$ # !& /

B *''% , '1+ 3!, ? +!/& *''%+

$$ &+1!, 7 %($ ( *#!& +( & $ * *'1& 7 * 1 1,7 & * ,'* '1+ 7 * ('*, 2 &, 3!, '' -,$ 8 1&&5 $$ 7 1"

493 $

& /

# /

$ # !& /

& /

# /

B &'+ ' @ *''% , 3!, '& *''% '5+ 1 *, * >D 5%'& "'#1 ,* ,7 #'5!7 '+

6 0 0

$ # !& / & /

# /

? $' #+ ' C '+8 ? *''% ,+ #!& $1 7 ,* , ! ,'*! +$ & 7 '+

708 0 0

$ # !& / & /

# /

? $' #+ ' C &'+8 @ *''% ,+ 9>? ,+: #!& $1 7 ,* , ! ,'*! +$ & 7 '+

808 0 0

$ # !& / & /

# /

>FFC8DB+)% +! &- $ $ & +'#'*'7 1"

653

$ # !& /

%!&! +, , ' ?E 1&!,+ ' ? *''% ,+

9 ( %$ 9 ( ( %$ 8 # 8 8 # % ## (! + * % 5 %% ## (! + * * % 5 5 & / 1 3 7 1" ) # ) ## $ # ! # $! $

# ! ! # $$!

# /

783 & & / ($ / ($

5 5 5

# , (# # $% % $. "( #, $! & . ! $ % % ( #$ ( #$

4

Photo News

Monday, October 28, 2013

L-R: Group Managing Director, UAC, Mr. Larry Ettah; Executive Director, Business Development, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Managing Director, CAP Plc, Mrs. Omolara Elemide and Executive Director, Corporate Services, UAC, Mr. Joe Dada, at the ringing of the bell signifying closing of trade at the NSE, at the weekend.

L-R: Senior Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN, Saidat Lawal-Mohammed, Guest Speaker, Ladi Okuneye and PR & Media Consultant, another Guest Speaker, Ronke Bello, at the MTN Link Forum held in Abuja, at the weekend.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

L-R: Representative of the Vice-President, Mr. John Chukwu; Executive Director, Toyota Nigeria Limited, Mr. Kunle Ade-Ojo; Managing Director, BKG Exhibition Limited, Mr. Ifeanyi Agwu and Head Marketing, Toyota Nigeria Limited, Mr. Andrew Ajuyah, during the 15th Abuja International Motor Fair at the weekend.

PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

L-R: Mr. Jide Onalaja of Virgin Atlantic; Mr. Sam Owa of Stonebridge; Mr. Segun Awolowo and Chief Executive, Bodyline Fitness and Gym, Mr. Bankole Opashi, during the launch of Bodyline Fitness Centre in Lagos, at the weekend.

PHOTO: OLUFEMI AJASA

National News TOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

N

igeria’s push for sustainable development and long term economic stability may be undermined by high cost of governance, particularly the rising annual budgets and current political upheavals in the ruling party, which could accentuate the growing level of poverty in the country, a seasoned financial analyst, Razia Khan, has warned.

Khan, Head of Regional Research, Africa of Standard Chartered Bank, in her latest African Regional Focus on Nigeria released a few days ago, specifically noted that current crisis within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remained a potential risks to Nigeria’s efforts to boost economic activities in the oil and gas sector and implementation of the 2014 budget.

The research analyst

PDP crisis, a threat to Nigeria’s economic development –Khan noted that the upheavals in the political landscape and more importantly within the PDP would not only slow down the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), a major statutory instrument which could help to mitigate the dwindling earnings from the oil and gas sector by unlocking new investments in the upstream sector.

According to her, the PDP crisis may also complicate the passage of the 2014 budget and that the political backdrop of the saga is likely to pose a serious risk to budget plans of moderate spending and also forestall the sustainability of the plans outlined in the Medium Term Budget Strategy Paper for the 2014 budget.

In view of the negative implications of the delayed PIB and other fiscal instruments that may not get the needed urgent attention from lawmakers and the executive in the face of the unfolding political developments, Khan projected that there was every likelihood that recurrent expenditure would overshoot further capital provisions in view of the overly ambitious budget assumptions.

She projected that the share of the recurrent spending would not only rise significantly from the current 64 per cent in the current year to about 73.8 per cent, representing an increase of about four per cent in nominal terms, but that challenges of oil theft

and other operational constraints may make the 2.39mmbpd assumed for 2014 unrealistic.

While noting the evolving political squabbles and efforts being made to reconcile the warring factions in the PDP, Khan reported that the crisis could complicate the passage of any legislation and that given current circumstances, it is highly unlikely that Nigeria’s long-deliberated Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) will be passed soon.

Expatiating further, the renowned research specialist pointed out that an end to regulatory uncertainty is thought necessary to unlock new investment in the upstream oil sector just as the passage of the 2014 Budget which is expect-

ed to be presented to the National Assembly at the end of this month may become more difficult, thereby further complicating the the nation’s economic outlook.

On the lingering challenge of budget restructuring for improved capital provisions, she expressed her concern from a growth perspective that the share of recurrent spending would rise to 73.8 per cent of total spending, up from 64 per cent in the current financial year, increasing 4 per cent in nominal terms, to N3.32 trillion in 2014 from N3.2trn in 2013, but squeezing capital expenditure.

Khan said: “Given the current political backdrop, budget assumptions for 2014 appear overly ambitious.

“Currently, official estimates suggest that as much as one-fifth of the country’s oil output is lost to theft. Actual output levels have averaged far less than the 2.53mmbpd assumed in the 2013 budget.

“It is likely that oil output levels will similarly undershoot the 2.39mmbpd assumed for 2014, necessitating reliance on Nigeria’s excess crude earnings for budget ‘augmentation’. The net effect is to reduce any buffer Nigeria might have in place against a more sustained decline in oil earnings.

“With politics moving to centre stage, the consensus needed to tackle oil theft may be elusive.

Spending and borrowing plans should be gauged in this light.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Monday, October 28, 2013

5

Na'Abba, Balat, Adeniji make ministerial list AYODELE OJO

DEPUTY EDITOR (POLITICS)

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan is set to send fresh list of ministerial nominees to the Senate for screening and clearance. The nominees are to fill the 10 vacant slots in the 42-member Federal Executive Council, FEC. This followed last week’s

screening of the ministerial nominees by the security and anti-graft agencies.

National Mirror exclusively gathered that some of the nominees have been screened by the State Security Service, SSS. “As at Wednesday last week, four of the ministerial nominees have been screened,” an insider told National Mirror yesterday. The source added that

screening is being done in batches.

A source close to the Presidency told National Mirror that the screening of the ministerial nominees started last week following a correspondence the President sent to the Director General of the agency.

The source added that the result of the screening is expected to be received by the President this week on his

arrival from Israel where he had gone since last week for pilgrimage.

“We are confident that there won’t be issues with the nominees because a lot of background checks have been carried out by the Presidency before the names were sent for security checks.

“We are trying to avoid a situation where ministerial nominees were dropped

The Ozoma Onyaa Akiliozizo of Ogbaru and member of Igbo progressives Union, High Chief George Nwabueze, addressing journalists during a protest over alleged unfair criticism of the Minister for Aviation, Stella Oduah, at the Akanu Ibiam Airport in Enugu at the weekend.

Presidency wants soft landing for Oduah

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

The party added that through his body language, the President is sending a signal to his ministers that it is alright to be corrupt, wondering whether he (Jonathan) is aware of the joke making the rounds that there are five ‘Super Ministers’ in his cabinet whom he can neither sanction nor remove, irrespective of their actions, because they are the ones ferreting funds into his war chest for 2015.

It also condemned the resort to crowd hiring to protest against the growing calls for sanctions against Oduah, saying concerned groups and citizens are closely following the developments and will not allow it to be swept under the carpet.

In a related development, the recent crises in the Nigerian aviation industry have become major concerns for the three major unions in the sector.

The unions said in a bid to prevent further calamities, it is pertinent for stakeholders, professionals and even elders in the sector to deliberate on a way

forward.

The unions; National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSAN and the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, said that having x-rayed the recent happenings in the sector, it is important they meet to proffer solutions to them.

The unions said that if solutions were not immediately proffered to the recent crises, the future of aviation in Nigeria was at stake and warned that planes may start to fall off the skies again.

A one-day meeting involving all stakeholders in the sector has been scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday) in Abuja.

Speaking on behalf of the group, the President, NAAPE, Mr. Isaac Balami, explained that the meeting would seek to chart a course for more participation by all stakeholders in the sector for the purpose of moving the aviation industry forward in months ahead.

Balami revealed that an industry veteran, Capt.

Paul Tahal, would moderate at the one-day event, adding that the three unions had collectively called upon these elders and experts within reach to attend what he described as a crucial meeting.

He also stated that they would use the opportunity of the dialogue to collectively make valuable contributions on how to proactively move the industry to greater heights, stressing that if the country was to attain its vision of 20: 2020, it must grow its aviation sector to a level befitting of the physical size and population of the country.

Meanwhile, some groups and individuals have kicked against calls in some quarters for the sack of Oduah.

Some Igbo youths under the aegis of Igbo Progressives Union, IPU, and some elders in the geopolitical zone led by High Chief George Nwabueze over the weekend reiterated their support for the embattled minister.

The youths, in their hundreds protested to the Aka-

nu-Ibiam International Airport, Enugu at the weekend and insisted that the minister did not do anything wrong with the purchase of the cars.

An online statement signed by the Coordinating spokesman for aviation parastatals, Mr. Yakubu Dati, stated that the protesting youth carried placards with different inscriptions and accused unnamed groups of people of being behind the calls for the removal of the minister.

The youths alleged that some cabals in the country had wanted Oduah out by all means, adding that their intentions was to stop the minister from going ahead with her transformation agenda in the country’s aviation sector.

The group, who spoke through their leader, Emeka Agbo, who is said to be a student of the Institute of Management and Technology, IMT, Enugu said Igbo youths were prepared to go the whole hog in ensuring that their daughter was protected, expressing dismay that CONTINUED ON PAGE 13>

because of security issues.

Don’t forget that a good number of the nominees have held public offices before and have distinguished themselves in their chosen careers. The nominees are both technocrats and politicians,” a presidential aide told our correspondent at the weekend.

One of the nominees, who is a former federal lawmaker, confirmed to National Mirror that he concluded his screening with the security agency last week Wednesday.

“I was at the security agency for screening on Wednesday. You know this is an essential aspect of the process. As a ministerial nominee, the security agency must clear you of criminal record before Mr. President forwards your name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

“I have done the needed and I’m only hopeful that my name and that of other nominees who have gone through the process would soon be made public. As at the time I did my screening, four other nominees had done theirs,” one of the ministerial nominees told National Mirror yesterday.

Spokeswoman of SSS, Marylyn Ogar, did not pick her call or respond to text message sent to her phone yesterday.

It was learnt that former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Umar Ghaali Na’Abba, has been nominated from Kano State, while Senator Isaiah Balat, Special Adviser to VicePresident Namadi Sambo on Special Duties, was picked to represent Kaduna State.

The incumbent chairman of the Federal Emergency Road Management Agency, FERMA, Mr. Jide Adeniji, from Osun State also made the list.

Former chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Iyiola Omisore, had submitted four nominees – Adeniji, Francis Fadahunsi, a retired Customs officer; Mrs. Remi Olowu, former chairperson, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA; Mrs. Funmi Olaseinde, a former local government chairman – for Osun State out of which Adeniji was picked. Adeniji is a close friend of the President.

It is not clear if former

governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna, made the final list. A source said the Presidency conceded the Adamawa slot to the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

It was learnt that the corruption cases against Haruna and former governor of Jigawa State, Senator Saminu Turaki, worked against their emergence.

Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum, Godswill Akpabio, nominated one of his associates for the Akwa Ibom slot.

It was learnt that President Jonathan sidelined the aggrieved PDP governors in the choice of the ministerial nominees.

For instance, in Rivers State, the President singlehandedly picked the nominee to replace Ama Pepple unlike what obtained in the past when Governor Rotimi Amaechi was the one that picked the state’s representative.

The same thing is applicable in Niger, Kano and Jigawa states where Governors Aliyu Babangida, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Sule Lamido were sidelined.

It was further learnt that the zonal ministerial slot for the South-West has been taken away from Ogun State, thus leaving out the input of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the selection process. Lagos is being favoured to produce the zonal slot.

President Jonathan had on Wednesday September 11 sacked nine ministers.

The affected ministers were Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru; Education, Ruqqayatu Rufai; National Planning, Shamsudeen Usman; Land and Urban Development, Ama Pepple; Environment, Hadiza Mailafia; Science and Technology, Ita Ewa. Three Ministers of State were also affected by the exercise. They included Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada; Power, Hajia Zainab Kuchi, and Agriculture, Tijani Bukar.

Before the September 11 sack, the President had on August 26 relieved the Minister of Youth Development, Inuwa Abdulkadir, of his appointment over the outcome of the recent controversial election of new executives of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN.

6

News

Monday, Ocober 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Oil theft: FG’ll deploy electronic pipeline surveillance –Jonathan A LUFEMI O ABUJA

ADEOSUN

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan said the Federal Government was planning to deploy electronic surveillance to track oil theft in the country.

Jonathan said this at the weekend while delivering closing remarks at a twoday oil and gas investment forum in Onne, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The President, who spoke through the Senate President, David Mark, described the menace of oil theft as worrisome, stressing, however, that government was ready to tackle it headlong.

He said: “Relevant regulatory agencies are working round the clock to combat the challenge, considering the strategic posi-

tion of oil and gas in the economy.

“My administration has embarked on a number of far-reaching measures to combat these unwholesome activities. Government is exploring the possibility of using electronic pipeline surveillance to track down oil theft.”

While stressing that the government was putting in place mechanism to ensure that vandals found it extremely difficult to access petroleum pipelines, the President gave assurance of continuous support to an investment drive in the sector.

He said: “To this end, I am calling on all relevant industries to ensure that all oil and gas related cargoes are discharged only at the designated terminals.”

Jonathan directed that the agencies concerned

should also ensure strict enforcement on the ban on the illegal discharge of cargoes and receiving of vessels at private jetties.

He said steps should be taken to guard against the breach of national security and loss of revenue to the government.

The President said the choice of the Onne oil and gas free trade zone was strategic, as it would showcase investors’ confidence in the Nigerian economy, because

“seeing is believing”.

According to him, government generated revenue in the zone increased from $5.4 billion to $7.1 billion in 2013 and the FDI from $4 billion to $4.2 billion dollars.

He said: “Available statistics indicate that the companies operating in the free zone have increased from 150 in 2011 to 170 in 2013, employment regeneration has increased from 30,000 in 2011 to 34,000 in 2013.

“Support to family livelihood has grown from 180,000 in 2011 to 200,000 in 2013. If these indices are not indicating an attractive environment for investors, I wonder what else they are.”

Also speaking at the forum, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, said the Oil and Gas Free Zone, OGFTZ, would continue to be a catalyst for the diversification of

the economy.

In a sideline interview, Rivers Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, called on investors to ensure optimum utilisation of investment opportunities in the state, to promote maximum economic growth in the country.

He said investments in the OGFTZ over the years had been successful due to the existing climate peaceful and conducive to business.

Salami will get valedictory session, other privileges –Investigation EMMANUEL ONANI ABUJA

T

he immediate-past President of the Court of Appeal, PCA, Justice Ayo Isa Salami, would be accorded full recognition due to his former position, it has been discovered.

This is coming on the heels of speculations that the former PCA may not enjoy some privileges accruable to his former office because of his suspension by the National Judicial Council, NJC. Also corroborating this position, a former Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), told our correspondent that there were no encumbrances standing in Salami’s way to deny him his benefits.

Olujinmi, who is the former PCA’s attorney, also said the committee which found Salami guilty of “gross misconduct”, was not “neutral”.

The NJC suspended Salami on August 18, 2011 for what it referred to as “gross misconduct” on the part of the jurist.

Though the council later reviewed itself when it reinstated the former head of the appellate court, it wrote to President Goodluck Jonathan for approval.

This development, how-

ever, stalled Salami’s eventual resumption, as the Presidency, through the AGF and Minister Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), insisted that it could only act upon the conclusion of the pending case instituted against the NJC. Speaking with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, a highlyplaced source at the NJC, said since the former PCA received his salaries until his official retirement last week, when he clocked the mandatory retirement age of 70 years, there was no reason why he would not be treated to a valedictory court session, which is a tradition with the Bench.

The source also disclosed that Salami would enjoy other privileges due to his former position.

He said: “Justice Salami was earning his salaries throughout the period he was on suspension, even his portrait was still hanging on the walls of the Court of Appeal.

“As far as NJC is concerned, Justice Salami retired as a President of the Court of Appeal, notwithstanding his case in court.

He was being paid his salaries and so is entitled to the privileges of PCA and unless he refuses to turn up whenever a valedictory court session is held in his honour.”

L-R: Chairman, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; Group Managing Director, Oando Plc, Mr. Wale Tinubu; National Leader, All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola and his Ekiti State counterpart, Kayode Fayemi, at the 10th anniversary fidau prayers and ground-breaking of the Kafaru Oluwole Tinubu Memorial Mosque in Lagos, yesterday.

Nigerian economy creates 431,021 jobs in Q1 –NBS TOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

T

he National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, has reported that the Nigerian economy generated 431,021 jobs in the first quarter of the current year.

This is up from the 385,913 jobs created in the fourth quarter of 2012, representing an increase of 11.69 per cent.

According to the findings of the Quarterly Job Creation (Fourth Quarter 2012 and First Quarter 2013) released yesterday by the agency, a breakdown of jobs created in the fourth quarter of 2012 indicated that 152,018 jobs were created in the formal sector, 208,920 jobs in the informal sector and 24,975 in the public sector.

The formal sector contributed 174,326 jobs to the total jobs generated in the first quarter of 2013, while the informal and public sectors generated 232,327 and 24,368 jobs, respectively.

Comparatively, the informal sector generated onethird more jobs than the

formal sector in first quarter of 2013.

However, the formal sector shows the greatest increase between the two quarters of 14.68 per cent more jobs created than in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Job creation in the public sector is the only area to exhibit a decline of 2.43 per cent from the fourth quarter of 2012 to the first of 2013.

A further analysis of the formal sector jobs created indicated that the education sector provided the most jobs in both quarters, making up 50.35 per cent of new jobs in the fourth quarter of 2012 and 39.49 per cent in first quarter of 2013 while financial intermediation sector contributed the second largest portion of 15.9 per cent of jobs created in fourth quarter of 2012, increasing by a further 6.60 per cent points to 22.51 per cent in first quarter 2013.

Mining and quarrying generated the least employment of the industrial sectors, constituting just 0.14 per cent and 0.11 per cent of all jobs created in the

last quarter of 2012 and the first of 2013, respectively.

According to the NBS, the fastest growth in job creation was recorded in the wholesale and retail trade sector, with 100.9 per cent increase between the two quarters just as real estate, renting and business activities, with 66.6 per cent increase, also witnessed substantial increases in the number of formal jobs created.

The bureau reported that: “Manufacturing with a 63.2 per cent increase and financial intermediation, with a 62.3 per cent increase in jobs created.

Only two sectors witnessed a decline in job creation between the two quarters.

“Firstly, mining and quarrying which created 10.9 per cent fewer jobs than in the previous quarter.

“Secondly in the education sector, which was not able to sustain its high rate of job creation, witnessing a 15.86 per cent point decline in the number of jobs created relative to the fourth quarter of 2012.

“The most cited reason for new employment is ‘other’ which has a share of 11.36 and 11.46 in fourth quarter of 2012 and first quarter of 2013, respectively.

“However, reasons for employment are fairly equally distributed over the two periods, with each category retaining a 10-11 per cent share of responses. There is a less than one per cent point change in between categories across the two periods even when looking at individual sectors.

“However, although small, some changes are notable. For instance, the greatest increase of 0.80 per cent comes from the promotion of the occupant of the position, which eludes towards an expansion of managerial positions and an upward mobility within the workplace.

“Secondly there is a 0.54 per cent increase in job creation due to a new skill being required in the office, showing an increase in the technical requirements of businesses.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Monday, October 28, 2013

PDP uncovers plot by APC, Okorocha to undermine FG OBIORA IFOH ABUJA

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said it has uncovered a plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha to undermine the Federal Government of Nigeria thereby destroying the unity of the country.

The party said part of the plot was for the opposition to organise phantom protests against President Goodluck Jonathan in order to undermine his government and ultimately

destroy the unity of the country.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the PDP said; “Having discovered that Nigerians have rejected them ahead of the 2015 general elections due to their penchant for propaganda, deceit and promotion of violence and disunity among the people, the APC leaders have perfected this plot and are now using Imo State and the governor to experiment its workability.”

The party noted that Okorocha is trying to divert the attention of the Su-

preme Court from the substance of the case against him ahead of the apex court’s ruling on October 31, 2013, warning him not to drag President Jonathan into the case.

Berating the governor for accusing President Jonathan of influencing the Supreme Court in the case, the PDP frowned at the antics of the governor and the APC over their threats, sponsoring fabricated stories in the media and organising phantom protests against the office and person of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Supreme Court.

The party also blasted the governor for attempting to hoodwink the apex court and divert its attention from the substance of the case, adding that his accusation was part of the embattled governor’s strategy to whip up sentiments to sway the judiciary by portraying himself as being under attack by the Presidency.

“Governor Okorocha has always been jittery that justice will prevail against him at the Supreme Court for stealing the people’s mandate in 2011, hence his recent deployment of blackmail and attacks on

L-R: Celebrant, Prince Gboyega Isiaka; his wife, Oluwatoyin; Ambassador Musiliu Obanikoro and author of the book, Mr. Fatai Adesegun, during the launching of a book titled: “Challenges of Development: A compendium of Speeches of Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka (GNI),” in Lagos, yesterday.

PHOTO: OLUFEMI AJASA

Nigeria’s health system in despicable state –NMA MARCUS FATUNMOLE ABUJA

T

he Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has said that there is an urgent need for a general overhaul of the nation’s primary and secondary healthcare system, which it says is currently in despicable state.

NMA made the call in Abuja yesterday through its President, Dr Osahon Enabulele, at a briefing to mark this year’s Physicians’ Week, which begins today in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The association said: “The despicable state of

our primary and secondary healthcare systems under the control of local and state governments has created several problems and complications, including preference by an increasing population of Nigerians to have their basic healthcare needs attended to at the tertiary healthcare centres (top of the healthcare pyramid).

“Thereby suffocating and overstretching the available facilities and health human resources at the specialist/tertiary healthcare delivery level.

“Certainly, this has greatly contributed to the crisis of confidence in the

Nigerian healthcare system on account of long waiting hours and other challenges faced by patients, with increasing reliance by Nigerians on unorthodox means to attend to their healthcare needs, including the patronage of quacks,” the body said.

The association noted that a recent survey it carried out showed that most primary and secondary healthcare systems are deficient in health human resource, lack basic healthcare facilities and services as well as adequate funding and essential drugs.

It added that the World Health Organisation

(WHO) had estimated that to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), African health services would need to train and retrain an extra one million health workers by 2010, and that almost three years down the line, most local and state governments in the country are yet to give priority to the recruitment, retention and development of the appropriate health human resources required for the objective.

The theme of the 2013 Physicians’ Week is: ‘Federalism and Nigeria’s Healthcare system; An appraisal of the Primary and Secondary healthcare systems.’

the judiciary and the Presidency ahead of the apex court’s ruling on the case.

“This governor has been living in morbid fear of having justice prevailing against him at the Supreme Court for stealing the mandate of the people in 2011.

As such, he now seeks to use the instrumentality of blackmail and political subterfuge to divert the attention of the Supreme Court

7

from the substance of the case against him.

“By sponsoring fabricated reports in the media, alleging that the Presidency was influencing the Supreme Court to remove him from office, Governor Okorocha is merely trying to whip up sentiments to ultimately sway the Supreme Court by portraying himself as a victim of attack by the Presidency.

Fashola, Munroe proffer solutions to Nigeria’s leadership crisis MURITALA AYINLA

F

ollowing concerns about the ability of Nigerian leaders to sustain the country beyond 2015, the wife of the Lagos State Governor, Abimbola Fashola and world’s renowned mentor and trainer, Dr. Myles Munroe, yesterday assembled over 10, 000 youths across the country to find a lasting solution to the problem of leadership in the country.

They said Nigeria will emerge stronger if the teeming youths of the country are given the required orientation to develop the country rather than becoming tools in the hand of politicians to foment trouble during elections.

Speaking at a symposium organised for the youths by the Lagos Empowerment And Resources Network (LEARN), Fashola and Munroe

said it was high time the country began to train its youths who are future leaders of the country.

Fashola lamented that the country was facing challenges of leadership, saying a country with visionless youths is doomed.

According to her, “Our focus for this year’s edition is leadership. The choice of the theme is informed by the pivotal role good leadership plays in nation building.

Good leadership can help bring about sustainable development in any society through efficient and proper management of available resources to produce great results.

“Leadership gap has been identified as one of the many reasons of underdevelopment. This gap ultimately hampers economic growth and stability, a trend being experienced in Nigeria and many nations of the world.

Oritsejafor, Omobude seek end to country’s woes SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN

T

he National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and the National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Dr. Felix Omobude, will both lead over 100, 000 Christian faithful and clerics to pray for Nigeria in a special convention.

The clerics and Christian faithful are expected from within and outside Nigeria to pray for the well being of the country and to put an end to its woes.

The one week spiritual event will take place at the Gospel Light International Ministries (GLIM), otherwise called the New Covenant Gospel Church in

Benin City, Edo State from today, Monday, October 28 to Sunday, November 3rd, 2013.

A press statement issued yesterday in Benin, Dr. Omobude, who doubles as the President-General of the Gospel Light International Ministries, said the prayer programme is part of the one week annual convention of the church tagged: Bible Alive Believers International Convention (BABIC) with this year’s theme as: ‘Triumphant Always.’

He said other key clerics expected to grace the event include: Bishop Mike Okonkwo, Dr. Uma Ukpai, Bishop Simeon Okah, among other Christian leaders drawn from Europe, America and other African nations.

8

South West

Monday, Octobert 28, 2013

Confab: We foresee a new Nigeria –Braithwaite TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

S

outh-West Consultative Forum on National Conference yesterday called on Nigerians to actively support the proposed National Conference for a new Nigeria to emerge.

Addressing a press conference in Lagos after a closed-door meeting, the group led by foremost lawyer and elder statesman, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, also warned President Goodluck Jonathan to be cautious on the proposed dialogue.

He said all Nigerians must embrace the dialogue as it would give birth to a

new Nigeria with equal opportunities for everyone.

Braithwaite, therefore, cautioned politicians speaking against the planned dialogue, saying those opposing the conference were selfish.

He said: “We commend President Jonathan for buying into the idea of National Conference. The timing of this conference is divine because next year is the 100 years’ anniversary of the amalgamation of the North and South. The dialogue will strengthen the basis for the continuous union of our country on our own terms as sovereign people of Nigeria.

“The advocates of Na-

tional Conference are by no means calling for the dismemberment of Nigeria but a dialogue to redefine the basic existence of the union for the growth and social and economic development of people of this country.

“President Jonathan, by this conference, has taken a very big step. If the conference is successfully managed, the President would have succeeded in writing his name and the name of this generation in the sands of time.

“The purpose of the conference is to give birth to a new Nigeria where there would be equal opportunities for everybody; every

ethnic nationality.

“We must caution politicians whose interest in the National Conference is mainly to seize power at all cost for their selfish political gains. This is the conference of Nigerians regardless of political lineage. We know those who are opposing it are opposing it for purely selfish and partisan political reasons.

That should have no place in this National Conference.

“We would do everything possible to assist the Okurounmu-led advisory panel to come up with a robust template for the convocation of the National Conference.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FAAN installs hi-tech security system at Lagos Airport OLUSEGUN KOIKI

T

he Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, said it had deployed a modern security system at the International Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos.

The FAAN General Manager, Communications, Mr. Yakubu Dati, who said this in a statement, disclosed that it was part of efforts to boost security at the airport.

Dati said the security gadgets were located at nine different passenger checkpoints in the newly expanded “D” and “E” departure halls of the terminal.

He added that the deployment of the new system was part of a largescale upgrade of MMIA’s entire security system.

According to him, the security equipment known as Advance Threat Identification X-Ray (aTiX), consists of explosives trace detector and high performance walk-through metal detector to check passengers and their hand luggage for

explosives, illegal weapons, contraband, narcotics and related items thereby enabling safer air travel.

The new system has the ability to detect explosive materials and potential threat items real time with the lowest rate of false alarms, Dati added.

He said: “Other advantages of the new system include the ability to capture multiple views of hand luggage in a single pass, high speed image resolution, reduced inspection, and improved passenger experience.

“This is not only a major boost to MMIA safety and security rating but also to passenger confidence. The choice of state-of-the-art security system re-affirms President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration’s commitment to making Nigeria’s aviation sector compliant with international standards and best practices.”

Dati disclosed that MMIA was the first in the country to switch to the advance security system, but noted that airports across the country would soon to key-in into the new system.

Adelabu seeks positive confession for Ekiti

E L-R: President, UN World Summit Awards (WSA), Prof. Peter Bruck; Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola; Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Phillips Consulting, Mr. Foluso Phillps, during the presentation of the World Summit Awards for Opon Imo to the governor at the WSA Global Congress in Sri Lanka on Saturday.

Medical union challenges court ruling on consultants’ appointment WALE IGBINTADE

T

he Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, MDCAN, has challenged the competence of the National Industrial Court, NIC, to appoint non-medical doctors as consultants.

Consequently, the association has urged the court to invalidate its earlier judgement which appointed nonmedical doctors as consultants A panel of three judges of the court headed by Justice Babatunde Adejumo had on July 22 granted an

order affirming the appointments of some of the non-medical doctors as consultants.

But in its post-judgement application dated October 9, MDCAN asked the court to declare the judgement “null and void”.

It predicated the application on provisions of sections 6(1), 6(6)(a & b), 36(1) of the constitution and sections 12 & 14 of the National Industrial Court Act 2006; Order 5, Rules 2(1 &2) and 3; Order 15, Order 19, Rule 18 (1&2) and Order 25, Rules 4 & 6 of the NIC Rules, 2007.

Through its lawyer, Jiti

Ogunye, MDCAN argued that failure to join it as a necessary party in the suit which led to the judgement amounted to being “denied fair hearing”.

It also argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the suit because the reliefs sought bordered on “appointment of non-medically qualified health professionals as consultants in Federal Government institutions and the rights of such appointees to receive specialist allowances”.

An affidavit in support of the suit deposed to by Dr. O. S. A. Oluwole stated that:

“This application is of extreme urgency and it ought to be determined timely in the interest of care of patients.”

Those whose appointments as consultants were affirmed by the court but in the view of MDCAN “are not medically qualified”, include nurses, pharmacists and members of senior staff of teaching hospitals and research institutes.

Others are medical technologists and members of non-academic staff of educational and associated institutions.

kiti State Deputy Governor, Prof.

Modupe Adelabu, has called on the people to stop making negative pronouncements on the state.

Adelabu asked residents to always confess positively and hold on to God’s word that the state would witness greater developments beyond the people’s imagination.

The deputy governor made the call in her remark at a revival programme tagged; “Ekiti Crusade 2013: Peace Reigneth,” at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, AdoEkiti.

The crusade was organised by churches such as INRI Evangelism International, Lagos and some local churches to pray for peace and development in Ekiti State.

It was attended by top government functionaries, royal fathers, judicial officials, lawmakers, political parties

and the various interest groups who are stakeholders in the Ekiti State project.

Adelabu thanked the founder and General Overseer of the church, Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele, for heeding God’s directive to pray for peace in the “Land of Honour,” adding that the intersession was very timely.

The deputy governor, who expressed strong belief in all the prophesies during the ministration, solicited the continued support and prayers for Governor Kayode Fayemi.

She said such support was important for the wind of change currently blowing across the state to continue.

According to her, a radical socio-economic development is necessary to enlist the state in the club of economically viable states.

Adelabu also pointed out that such could only be attained in an atmosphere of peace.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South-West

Monday, October 28, 2013

Nigerians in Diaspora back Afenifere on confab ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

N

igerians in the United States of America (USA), at the weekend, came out in support of the panYoruba association, the Afenifere that has been canvassing the full participation of the Yoruba people of the South-West geo-political zone in the proposed national conference.

They contended that the conference will be of immense benefit to the area that has suffered neglect in the past due to the boycott of similar exercises.

The citizens, under the auspices of the Ood-

ua Nation in the North America, appealed to people of the South-West, which is mainly under the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to discountenance calls on them to boycott the national dialogue.

The group’s leader, Mr. Samuel Ayodele, who disagreed with a statement credited to APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu that the conference was a sham, which the South-West would not participate in, however, supported the position of Afenifere leaders that it would be in the interest of the Yoruba to participate in the confab to protect their interests.

In a statement e-mailed to journalists in Ado Ekiti yesterday, Ayodele also disagreed with the plan to present the outcome of the conference to the National Assembly for ratification, saying such might rubbish and derail the objectives of the process.

The statement reads in part: “We also wish to state categorically that we are against the submission of the final report of the conference to the National Assembly which does not seem to represent the general interests of our people, while commending the Federal Government for proposing the conference.

“We also want to submit that the report of the conference should be subjected to a referendum, the final product must not be tampered with and also should not be treated like the previous ones that never saw the light of day.

“We also urge our Yoruba people all over the world to rally round in support of this conference, because historically our boycott of similar conferences and many other things in the past have set the Yoruba back, whereas the other geopolitical zones have benefited immensely because of their participation,” the group stated.

9

Anti-graft war: Question your leaders, EFCC charges Nigerians FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

T

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said that the war against corruption and corrupt practices in the country will only be effective when the electorate would summon courage and begin to question their political leaders about governance.

The Chief of Staff in the office of the EFCC’s chairman, Kayode Oladele, made the assertion over the weekend while delivering an address at a programme organised for traditional rulers and community leaders by the Eagleping Crusaders, a non-governmental organisation of grassroots’ volunteers fighting corrup-

tion in the society.

Speaking at the event tagged; “The Royal Banquet Against Corruption” that was held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Oladele charged Nigerians to see to it that their civic responsibility transcends more than the ritual of going to the polls to cast votes for their leaders and going back home.

Emphasising that the anti-graft battle is beyond what EFCC alone could fight; the chief of staff said Nigerians must be courageous enough to query the performances of their leaders.

“There are promises which their leaders made to them before the elections, so they should be bold enough to ask questions.”

CRIN board replaces suspended directors KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

T

o effectively resolve the lingering internal crisis that has of recent crippled the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), the governing board of the institute, at the weekend, announced the replacement of the four directors that had being on indefinite suspension since last week when all workers’ union in the institute were proscribed.

The board in a communiqué released after its meeting presided over by the Chairman, Chief Francis Fadahunsi and signed by the seven members, said the suspended directors were replaced by eight heads of departments who were to operate in acting capacities until further notice.

According to the release, the Acting Heads of Departments are Drs. S. O. Agbeniyi; A.O. Famage; S. Orisayo; C. O. Jayeola; P. A. Ubebe; O. O. Fagbami; L. N. Dongo and A. O. Onifade.

The communiqué reads in part: “There was a total breakdown of law and order within the institute due to the negative activities of the union supported by the suspended directors against the so-called imposition of the current Executive Director, Prof.

Malachy Akoroda.

“The board also noted with deep sense of respon-

sibility, the sensible complaints by the workers and some of the management members and agreed to look into all the merits of their complaints and act on them after the submission of all the reports of all the committees soon.”

The board also advised the executive director to be more sensitive and proactive in handling all the cases concerning the staff of the institute.

It further enjoined the executive director “to make the welfare of the staff a priority and that both the executive director and the management should salvage the already battered image of the institute as soon as possible.”

It will be recalled that since July this year, workers of the institute and the executive director have been at loggerheads over alleged maladministration and other complaints levelled against him, prompting the workers to chase him out of office.

With the intervention of the board, it is expected that the workers of the institute would resume duty today.

Minister of Agriculture, Akinwumi Adesina

L-R: Son of the deceased, Akinola Omojola; Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun and widow of the deceased, Yetunde, during a condolence visit to the residence of late Pa. Oluwide Omojola in Lagos, at the weekend.

NCAA denies increase in airfares OLUSEGUN KOIKI

F

ollowing the grounding of three domestic carriers due to lack of operating equipment, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) yesterday debunked claims that it has given approval to airlines to review their air fares upward.

NCAA had last Thursday grounded the operations of IRS and Chanchangi Airlines for operating one aircraft, a situation, which the airline said was against airline operations in the country.

For an airline to operate in the country, it must

have a minimum of two aircraft in its fleet.

The agency had also few weeks ago grounded the operations of Dana Air for financial audit due to an incident it had on its way to Port Harcourt Airport from Lagos.

The situation led to more passengers scrambling for the few airlines available, a situation, which the airlines capitalised on to review their air fares upward.

But, spokesman for the NCAA, Mr. Fan Ndubuoke, said the regulatory authority had not given any approval to airlines to jerk up the air fares.

Ndubuoke in a statement advised the travel-

ling public to ignore such misleading information, which stated that it approved the review upward the air fares for domestic operators.

He said; “The NCAA position further clarifies Arik Airline’s claim that it has not in any way increased the airlines air fare as speculated by some passengers. The airline attributed the speculated increase to the activities of touts at the airport.”

The statement further declared that any increase in air fare without the authorisation of NCAA should be regarded as null and void.

The agency also warned intending pas-

sengers to desist from patronising touts at the airports and to lodge any complaints of attempt by anybody to defraud them in the purchase of tickets to the any NCAA’s consumer protection desk/ counter nearest to them at the airport.

NCAA advised intending passengers to use the option of on-line booking, direct counter purchase, among others, for their traveling tickets ahead of time for their scheduled trips.

It also war ned airline operators against any arbitrary increase in air fares, adding that any unprofessional practice will attract sanctions.

10

South-East

Monday October, 28 2013

Market stall collapses, kills scavenger in Umuahia

A

stall collapsed yesterday at the old Umuahia Main Market and killed a middle-aged man, Ifeanyi Nzeakor, of Mgbarakuma community at Ubalaka in the Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State.

A witness, who is also a relation of the deceased, Mr. David Ibeji, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, at the site of the incident that the structure collapsed on Nzeakor in the early hours of the day

when he was scavenging for rods at the site.

The stalls are currently being demolished by the state government six days after traders were relocated to a permanent site at Ubani Ibeku.

Ibeji, who was weeping beside Nzeakor’s body, said he and the deceased had gone to scavenge for rods the victim wanted to use for his building project when the incident occurred.

According to him, one of the stalls collapsed and hit Nzeakor on the head

and he died instantly.

He said: “The deceased was my relation and he was a commercial motorcycle rider. We came here to scavenge for rods that he will use on his building that is under construction.”

Ibeji said the stall collapsed while the deceased was trying to pull out a lengthy rod from the debris.

The Commander-General of the Abia State Vigilance Services, Mr. Martins Mba, who was also at the scene of the incident,

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Council hails NAFDAC for maintaining functioning laboratories DENNIS AGBO ENUGU

told NAN that his men had warned the scavengers to steer clear of the site in order not to endanger their lives.

He said: “We have been providing security here and we have been warning these boys not to come into this place for their own safety.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Geoffrey Ogbonna, said he was yet to receive report on the incident.

He said: “It is unfortunate but I am yet to receive such report.”

T

he Governing Council of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has commended the management of the agency for maintaining functional stateof-the-art laboratories across the country.

The council Chairman, Prof. John Ibru, gave the commendation after leading members of the council on a familiarisation tour of the agency’s South-East Zonal Office and SouthEast Zonal Laboratory at Agulu in Anambra State.

Ibru praised the NAFDAC Director-General, Dr. Paul Orhii, and his management team for maintaining high ethical laboratory standard and improving on the technical know-how of its staff.

He said: “We have state-of-the-art equipment, we have state-ofthe-art building; results that have been coming from here had been impressive.”

Ibru stressed that it was worth the while having a laboratory like the one in Agulu situated in

the eastern part of the country.

He said: “As a big organisation, with branches in 36 states of the federation, we are bound to have some hiccups.

“At the moment, the only problem that people have reported to us from the various states is that the project vehicles are old and they are becoming difficult to repair and maintain.

“They have been requesting but we have not got money to supply them with new vehicles yet.”

The chairman, however, urged the NAFDAC management to be ahead of fake and sub-standard drugs and foods’ paddlers through the introduction of more friendly cuttingedge technologies to outsmart them.

Earlier, Orhii had said that the agency had put in check paddlers of fake and adulterated drugs and food in the country through its ‘truscan’ and text-message technologies; adding that the agency would soon introduce more technologies.

He also thanked the stakeholders in the fight against fake drugs and food.

National Conference good for Nigeria, says ex-lawmaker

Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime (right) and the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, during local government election campaign tour of Igboetiti council, yesterday.

Alleged murder: Guru’s devotee on hunger strike, falls sick C HRIS N JOKU OWERRI

A

Guru Maharaj Ji high priest, Dr. Chimeize Osigweh, who mummified the body of his mother, which he kept in a cupboard in his house at Ejemekuru, Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State for more than 10 years, has fallen sick.

The accused had been secretly remanded in Owerri Prison.

Osigweh, a 68-year-old retired vice-principal, was arrested by the police for allegedly murdering his 78-year-old mother, Mrs. Lucy Osig-

weh, for ritual purposes.

Although it was learnt that he was not granted bail by the court, his whereabouts had remained a puzzle until he was reported sick in the prison.

A reliable source close to the Owerri Prison authorities, who craved anonymity, disclosed that Osigweh who had refused to eat the prison’s meal because of his faith, fell sick for going on hunger strike.

“He claims that his sect doesn’t eat cooked foods and nobody is ready to serve him his sect’s type of food. He

said he is a member of Guru Maharaj Ji sect and does not eat secular food,” the source said.

It was gathered that the accused had been on hunger strike since he was ar rested and remanded about five months ago.

“As a result of his refusal to eat food or take any medication, he has developed kwashiorkor and was rushed to hospital but he has been discharged and back to the prison,” the source added.

Osigweh’s mother was declared missing in 2003.

While members of both

families and residents were busy searching for the woman, they did not know she had died right inside her son’s room within the period she was declared missing.

Instead of the suspect announcing the passage of his mother, he decided to embalm the body and placed it in the cupboard in a room which also served as his shrine for 10 years.

The dried body was discovered in a very mysterious circumstance that shocked not only the helpless villagers but the entire Imo community.

F

ormer member of House of Representatives member from Imo State, Mr. Independence Ogunewe, yesterday lauded President Goodluck Jonathan for proposing a National Conference for the country.

Ogunewe, who represented Ahiazu/ Ezinihitte Federal Constituency, gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN. He said: “I welcome the national dialogue, and I urge Nigerians to support it in order to discuss the challenges that are threatening the corporate existence of the nation.”

The former lawmaker said the dialogue was in the best interest of the country.

He said: “That is the only way to guarantee peace and understand-

ing, and for Nigeria to move forward.”

Ogunewe urged Nigerians to be patriotic and support their leaders in efforts to transform the country for the benefit of all.

He said the National Assembly was an independent arm of government and that the outcome of the conference could be made part of the ongoing constitution amendment being handled by it.

The former House of Representatives meber said previous national conferences did not produce the desire results because they were guided toward taking decisions.

He, therefore, advised members of the dialogue committee to be focused, open minded and consult widely among Nigerians to produce the desired result.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Edo LG poll: PDP allegation over rigging baseless –Accord Party SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN BENIN

T

he Accord Party has described as unfounded an allegation by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the just re-scheduled election into some wards in Uhunmwode, Etsako Central, Etsako West, Ovia North-East and Esan North-East local government areas in Edo State was rigged.

The Accord Party asked the state chapter of the PDP to concede defeat, stressing that in any contest, there is always a winner and loser.

“The beauty of democracy is better demonstrated when gallant losers congratulate winners who are magnani-

South South

Monday, October 28, 2013

mous in victory,” the party said.

In a statement issued at the weekend, Accord Party National Secretary, Dr. Samson Isibor, said the party is surprised that a political party that prides itself as the largest party in Africa could not obey simple electoral rules that govern the conduct of local government election.

Isibor said: “The PDP embarked on a fishing expedition by declaring parallel election results on the pages of some National dailies, instead of exploring the vista of hope by contesting the outcome of the election in court as provided for the electoral law and the 1999 Constitution.

11

NNPC awards contract for repair of Warri Refinery

SOLA ADEBAYO WARRI

T

echnicians and contractors at the weekend battled unsuccessfully to fix the ailing Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), which was gutted by fire last week.

It was learnt that a major contractor (names withheld) was hurriedly engaged by the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Friday when it became apparent that the repair could not be handled by the in-house engineers and technicians.

Reliable sources told National Mirror that the

contract for the repair of the burnt units of the plant was awarded by the corporate headquarters of the NNPC on the strength of the recommendation by the management of WRPC. The sources in the plant, which operated epileptically before the fire incident, said the embattled Managing Director of WRPC, Mr. Paul Obelley, initiated the award of the contract to the indigenous contractor.

The sources said the contract runs into millions of dollars.

Further enquiries revealed that the award of the contract enjoyed the blessing of the Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke, who was

said to be desirous of ensuring early operations by the plant.

The contractor was mandated to collaborate with the in-house technical team to produce early results.

It will be recalled that the plant was gutted by fire on Tuesday in a circumstance yet to be officially unravelled by the authorities.

Specifically, the fire erupted from a unit popularly referred to as “Area 1” in the refining complex, which produces kerosene, diesel and other by-products of petroleum products, especially light and heavy Naphta and heavy gas oil.

Trouble started when a leakage on the Vaccum Unit Pump which supplies heavy gas oil, a major feedstock for the Fluid Catalystic Cracking (FCC) unit, failed in the course of operation.

However, the in-house technical crew and the contractor at the weekend mus-

tered futile efforts to repair the affected units apparently in obedience of the order of Madueke that the plant be resuscitated without further delay.

It was gathered yesterday that the team was working round the clock to achieve results.

It will be recalled that the NNPC had vowed to quickly re-stream the units affected by the fire. The Acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the Corporation, Tumini Green, in a statement on Wednesday, said there was no cause for alarm as the fire was promptly brought under control through the combined effort of the Fire Department and other staff of the refinery.

WRPC, the first government-owned refinery was inaugurated in 1978 to process 100,000 barrels of crude oil per day. However, it was redesigned in 1987 to process 125,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

National Confab: Ogbemudia canvasses equal representation SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN BENIN

F Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson (left) presenting a souvenir to the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, during a public service seminar at the Gloryland Cultural Centre in Yenagoa, at the weekend.

Navy arrests three Ghanaians, nine others over oil theft EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

T

he Navy at the weekend arrested three Ghanaians and nine Nigerians on board a vessel laden with crude oil suspected to have been stolen from Akassa in Brass Local Government of Bayelsa State.

The suspects were arrested by operatives of the Forward Operating Base of the Navy, Egweama, near Brass, offshore Nun River with their vessel, MT FRANKENSEN, loaded with over 1,092,000 litres of crude oil.

Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Sidi-

Ali Usman, said he had visited the impounded vessel in company with the Command Operations Officer, Commodore Emmanuel Enemor; Commanding Officer, FORMOSO, Capt. Aniedi Ibok; Commander Samuel Garba, among others.

Usman said preliminary investigations revealed that the vessel could not tender relevant documents and permits required for the movement of products plying Nigerian waters at the time of arrest.

He said: “The vessel’s movement log showed evidence of previous voyages to Ghana. It seems reasonable therefore to infer that this is not the first attempt by the owner of the vessel to steal crude oil in Nigeria

for the purpose of selling in Ghana.”

The FOC said the oil vessel, owned by Port Harcourt-based John George, was scheduled to travel to Tema ,Ghana, where the product was expected to be disposed of.

Usman said: “Upon interrogation, the captain of the vessel, Adeyemi Akinleye, confessed on video that they were instructed by the owner of the vessel known as Mr. John George, residing in Port Harcourt, Rivers state to load stolen crude oil from two barges around Akassa and thereafter proceed to Tema in Ghana where the product would be disposed of.

“The captain, giving further details of their mission,

revealed that a local pilot was used to navigate the vessel into Nun River while one Mr. Destiny was the agent that supplied the product.

MT FRANKENSEN was loaded with over 1,092,000 litres of stolen crude oil contained in eight of the 10 tanks compartments onboard the vessel at the time of the arrest.”

He said the vessel, which measured 83 metres length and eight metres breadth, had a tonnage capacity of 1,200 metric tonnes.

The FOC renewed the command’s efforts to completely wipe out the menace of oil theft, illegal bunkering and other forms of criminalities within its area of jurisdiction.

ormer Governor of old Bendel State, Dr Samuel Ogbemudia, has said that all the ethnic nationalities in the country should be represented in the proposed National Conference.

Ogbemudia said the conference should have representatives from each of the nation’s 389 ethnic groups.

He said: “There should be no imposition of delegates by governments; ethnic groups should be allowed to appoint their representatives themselves.

The conference should not last longer than six months.”

Ogbemudia, who was speaking as head of the Midwest Forum through the group’s secretary, Dr Okunzuwa Osawaru, stressed the need for President Goodluck Jonathan to send a bill that would give the conference legal backing to the National Assembly.

According to him, the resolutions of the conference should be subject

only to a referendum and not the National Assembly as was being proposed by the President Ogbemudia said: “We are also going to discuss fiscal federalism because it is our belief that revenue formula should be reviewed to be based on revenue generation not revenue allocation so that from whatever you generate from your region, you keep a substantial part of it and contribute to the Federal Government.”

Calling for abolition of the 36 states structure, the former governor suggested that country should revert to the part-time parliamentary system of government.

Ogbemudia also called for the creation of two more regions such as Midwest from the South-South and another from the Middle Belt.

On the role of the Federal Government, he said it should remain in control of defense, currency, customs and foreign affairs, while the states control their resources so as to take charge of the other remaining ministries all of which are currently under the Federal Government.

12

North

Monday, October 28, 2013

2015 Kano governorship race’ll be ‘do or die,’ says Rep OTHMAN SALIHU KANO

T

he Deputy Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Hon. Suleiman Abdulrahaman Kawu Sumaila, has said that the 2015 gubernatorial election in Kano State would be a do or die affair.

Sumaila, who is a leading gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), revealed this in Kano yesterday while inaugurating a 19-member Ad hoc Local Governments Coordinating Committee for his campaign across the 44 local government areas of the state.

He code-named the team ‘Kawu 2015’ while addressing his supporters and assured that his campaign for the number one seat in the state would kick-off very soon, describing the crusade as a mass movement that would bring the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to its terminal point.

The lawmaker described Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s administration as a one-man show the type that has never been witnessed in the state.

He, however, said that such would come to an end in 2015, assuring that his leadership, if voted into office, would guarantee an

all-inclusive government, where everybody would be carried along.

Sumaila, while addressing his supporters, described the crusade as a mass movement that would bring about an end to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rule in the state.

He said: “I urge this committee to immediately swing into action, mobilising the electorate on the registration of members that will soon kick off, just as he charged the committee not to leave any stone unturned in collecting the registration cards from the APC headquarters to its members in the state.

He also disclosed that

sub-committees will also be constituted in each of the zones and wards, at the end of which a rally would be staged to flag off the campaign to galvanise the Kawu 2015 political machinery.

“Our journey started about a year ago and from all indications we are making steady progress and as such there is no going back. We are determined to accomplish our mission to salvage Kano from the clutches of PDP misrule.

“We have informed our stakeholders and elders of the party of our intention to contest the governorship seat and from the body language of the people, we have been accepted.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Yoruba’s notion of religion, best for Nigeria –Don JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

A

university don, Prof. Pindah Paul Izah, has called on Nigerians to emulate the type of religion practiced by the Yoruba in which differences of faith even among family members are not allowed to interfere in their relationships with one another.

“The rest of Nigeria must move closer to the Yoruba’s notion of religion, in which some spouses practice different faiths and still carry on perfect marital relationships.”

Prof Izah spoke at the weekend in Jos, Plateau State, during a roundtable forum organised by Carefronting Nigeria with the theme; “Politicisation of Religion and the Religionisation of Politics in Nigeria.”

The don, who is also the Director, Institute for Development Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, maintained that for

democracy to thrive in the country Nigerians must insist on good governance for all, which he said was the real antidote to divisive religious sentiments in the polity.

He added; “While it remains a reality that Christian or Muslim groups support one of their own, Nigerians should not panic, as the same trend holds true elsewhere and tolerance is the key word. Religion should progressively be regarded as a personal choice of citizens whether the state is secular or not.”

Nigerians must accept the teachings of the major religions, focusing on respect for human life as no religion condones wanton killing of fellow human beings.”

He also condemned the insensitivity of people in government, saying that such attitude does not help the polity, noting that Nigerian legislators have no business collecting higher pay than their American counterparts, considering the economic status of both nations.

Primary education: Suswam wants FG to pay teachers’ salaries HENRY IYORKASE MAKURDI

L-R: Galadima Bauchi, Alhaji Ibrahim Jahun; first Secretary to the Gombe State Government, Alhaji Ahmad Baba-Akko and Prof.

Yahaya Yaro of the Federal University, Kashere in Gombe State, at the graduation ceremony of the Bauchi State Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Bauchi, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Boko Haram kills four security operatives in Borno INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

G

unmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect yesterday attacked a military checkpoint on Bama-Banki Road, killing four security operatives.

The terrorists also snatched a patrol vehicle and made away with arms

and ammunition.

The attack came barely three days after gunmen launched multiple attacks in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, burning down military posts/checkpoints and police stations, The Bama-Banki road is along the Firgi-Gwoza federal highway located around the Sambisa Game Forests, which links Pilka town of Gwoza.

Our correspondent gathered that the gunmen, who were fully armed with Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) and Improvised Explosive Devises (IEDs), invaded the military checkpoint at about 11.26pm on Saturday and opened fire on the security operatives, killing four of them before making away with their patrol vehicle.

It was also gathered

that the suspected terrorists set ablaze some houses, filling stations and shops around the area before they fled the scene.

Spokesman of the 7 Division, Nigerian Army, Lieutenant-Colonel Mohammed Dole and the Police Public Relations Officer, Gideon Jubrin, could not be reached for confirmation as at the time of filing this report.

Niger to recover N395m in botched housing project PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

T

he Niger State government said it is set to dispose of the 90 Zuma Housing Units in Suleja Local Government Area of the state to recover its investment, following the failure of

the three parties involved to deliver the 250 housing estates agreed upon after eight years.

It will be recalled that in 2005, the Niger State government, the Federal Mortgage Bank (FMB) and a private developer, in a joint venture, agreed to build 250 housing units at the cost of N639.7 million.

Out the N639.7 million, the FMB contributed N225 million, Niger State government paid N100 million and also paid compensation to landowners for the 30 hectares acquired while the private developer contributed only N70 million for the project.

Speaking to journalists at the end of the state ex-

ecutive meeting in Minna last week, state Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Dr. Sale Peter Sarki, said the state has set machineries in motion to recover its investment in the botched project as the other parties involved have failed to deliver the 250 housing units as agreed.

B

enue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, has urged the Federal Government to commence the funding of primary education by paying school teachers with a view to wrest the burden and save the state from its present financial predicament.

Governor Suswam made the declaration at the weekend in Makurdi while giving an update on the strike action embarked upon by primary school teachers last Thursday in the state. He said the payment of wages, as matter of reality, is out of the reach of the state’s treasury, calling for intervention by the federal Government.

The special adviser for local government and chieftaincy affairs, who spoke on behalf of the governor, said at present if we are to implement the minimum wage as demanded by 25, 000 primary school teachers in the state, their emolument alone will gulp N1.3 billion.

He, however, stressed that the monthly allocation from the federation

account put together is often times falls between 2.5 billion to 2.8 billion naira and that it becomes cumbersome and difficult to implement the new wage structure because of the lean resources of the state.

Governor Suswam said the state government was able to pay other arrears of the teachers which accumulated to over N1 billion and also the 75 percent increment, but said that we require additional money in order to be able to meet up the obligation.

He added that in spite of insinuations in some quarters of teacher’s indebtedness, I want to disabuse the mind of the people that as a matter of clarity, primary school teachers were paid their salaries up to August 2013 and that no one is being owed now.

According to him; “For the period which the teachers through their mother union are insisting on minimum wage, we have been able to source for funds and pay to some extent, especially people on Grade Level 01to 06, all their entitlements had been settled.”

Monday, October 28, 2013

Nigerians were better under colonial rule –Ndume

14

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

13

Politics

I am not too confident something good could come out of the national conference. It’s going to be noise making as usual and everybody will go back again to square one –ANGLICAN BISHOP OF ENUGU DIOCESE, RT. REV. DR. EMMANUEL CHUKWUMA

Jonathan promises better electoral process

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday in Jerusalem, Israel promised to stabilise Nigeria’s electoral process.

Jonathan, who made the promise at an interdenominational service for 2013 Nigerian pilgrims, said that the current process was better than the previous ones.

“We promise that we must do a number of things differently, we have challenges in our electoral system, but at least it is better than what it was yesterday,” he said.

The President said that although the country was experiencing challenges, Nigerians had been privileged to pray to God at this period.

“Let me reassure you

that even though our nation is passing through challenges this period, God has made it possible for us to pray at a period like this,” he said.

He decried the high level of vandalism of petroleum pipelines and electricity installations poles by criminals in the country.

The President said that his administration would continue to improve the living condition of Nigerians.

He enjoined Nigerians to continue to pray for the country, saying that evil forces would never succeed in their evil ways.

“I assure you that things will continue to improve for the better as Nigeria will no longer be the same,” Jonathan said.

He expressed gratitude

for the Yitshak Rabin Family Award for Good Leadership, conferred on him and for the naming of the Yitshak Rabin School in Port Harcourt after him.

Jonathan said that Nigeria and the state of Israel will continue to be friends.

Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission, Mr. Jonh-Kennedy Okpara, said that over 30,000 Nigerian pilgrims were currently transported to the Holy land annually, compared to 4,000 pilgrims transported five years ago.

He advised pilgrims to see pilgrimage as a time for spiritual rebirth and a divine encounter with God. Mrs Josephine Zinder, President of Tailor Made

Tours, said that the company had decorated 50,000 Nigerians as Jerusalem Pilgrims (JP) in the past seven years.

Tailor Made Tours is an Israeli tour company, based in Tel Aviv.

The high point of the occasion was the decoration

of Jonathan with the JP title and the conferment of the Yitshak Rabin Award for Good Leadership Award on him.

Ekiti Speaker charges Jonathan on corruption ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

T

he Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin, has charged the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to be more resolved in its fight against corruption in the country to achieve the desired result.

According to him, “something fundamental is

wrong with President Jonathan’s administration. At a time when the allocations of states have not been paid for months, the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, used government money to procure two armoured vehicles worth N255m for her personal use.

“This shows the insensitivity of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP–led Federal Government. So, I am indeed happy with the

House of Representatives summon to Dr. OkonjoIweala to explain to the nation the true position of our finances. But I want to believe that the country is broke except we are deceiving ourselves,” he said.

The speaker also canvassed support for Governor Kayode Fayemi’s re-election bid in view of the need for the continuation of his landmark achievements.

Presidency, kinsmen rally to save Oduah CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

some highly placed individuals were determined to rubbish the towering pedigree and achievements of Oduah in the sector.

On their part, the people of Ogbaru, Anambra State, the home town of Oduah led by their High Chief Nwabueze alleged that the battle was not about the minister, but the 2015 presidential elections.

Nwabueze said that some people who were not comfortable with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan had ganged up to tarnish the image of members of the federal cabinet.

He said the criticisms

against Oduah were not only borne out of envy, but were politically motivated. He claimed that all the shylock businessmen, whose concession and lease agreements in the sector were either cancelled or terminated in the public interest, are behind Oduah’s present travails.

In Kaduna, President Civil rights Congress of Nigeria, Malam Shehu Sani said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, should also investigate and verify the extent of involvement of the minister and other bureaucrats and report

openly to Nigerians of the reality of the situation.

In the same vein, the National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, and other Coalition of Civil Societies, COCSON, have kicked against any move to have the minister removed.

At a press conference jointly held by NYCN and COCSON, the coalition condemned what it described as attack on the personality of the minister.

The NYCN president, Comrade Henry Nwabueze, said the outcry that has greeted the purchase of the cars seems antagonist and hasty devoid of the primary essence of criticism which is correction.

Kwara State governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed voting at a polling booth at Adebiopon Compound in Share, during the local government election in Ifelodun Local Government Area on Saturday.

No more gerontocracy in Nigerian politics –Tukur OBIORA IFOH ABUJA

T

he National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has said that the era of gerontocracy was gone in Nigerian politics.

As a result, he said, the PDP has begun to look in the direction of the youths to handle higher political offices.

Tukur noted that the future of Nigeria belongs to the youths, just as he urged them to start early preparations towards taking over in all endeavours.

Tukur said he had dreamt that a much younger member of the PDP

would take over government after President Goodluck Jonathan in 2019.

He said President Jonathan had already laid the foundation for the Nigerian youths to spearhead the political and economic engineering of Nigeria, urging them to take the advantage right away while not sitting on the fence any longer.

The PDP chairman made this known in Abuja on Sunday when members of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Anambra State chapter paid him a visit at his residence.

He said the PDP’s support for the youths was the reason it resolved to stand by its governorship candidate

in Anambra State, Tony Nwoye, notwithstanding the rumblings that have been characterising preparations by the party for the election.

Tukur urged the students not to relent in supporting the party’s agenda in all areas, most especially its desire to position the youths for the challenges of taking part in rebuilding Nigeria.

He said the PDP remained focused with its 12-point agenda which includes the Triple R; Reconciliation, Reformation and Rebuilding of not only the PDP, but the entire country, charging them to be part of the deal by playing prominent rol roles in the process henceforth.

14

Politics

Monday, October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Nigerians were better under colonial rule –Ndume •Says, ‘We need good leadership and governance, not confab’ Senator Ali Ndume represents Borno South in the Senate and chairs the Committee on Millennium Development Goals, MDGs. He is currently facing charges bordering on terrorism. In this interview with INUSA NDAHI in Maiduguri, he speaks on the proposed national conference and the state of the nation. Excerpts: What is your view on the proposed national dialogue?

I personally think we are understating the problem we have in this country and if we don’t appreciate and play our little roles, honestly we will be getting to a situation where the country will be in dare strait. We have to learn to say the truth and live by truth because if you don’t say the truth, the truth will come out either in the way you like it or dislike it. This is my fear for this country because we have now derailed. Anytime the leaders in this country throw up something to Nigerians, they will leave the real thing for the thing I considered trivial.

For me, national dialogue is not our major problem now.

It doesn’t even have a place in our constitution. We have this kind of conference before. What happened to the previous ones? We had a national dialogue in 2005 during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, what happened to it.

Very eminent Nigerians sat down to discuss, I was opposed to it too at that time because as an elected representative of my people, I felt my people were not consulted on who should speak for them. But then, we toy with ideas in this country and I believe the national conference is one of such things we toy with.

Now, our attention has been diverted from real issues affecting us: closure of public universities, problem in the health sector, poverty among our people, and insecurity. We have been engaging in dialogue since 1914 and I think it is time we paid attention to good leadership and good governance. It is time Nigerians demanded for good leadership and not endless talk. The Senate hasn’t actually taken any decision about the dialogue issue. The Senate President just revealed the acceptance of the leadership of the Senate after a meeting with the President. I don’t want people to misunderstand the position of the Senate President. He did not say that the Senate has decided that there should be a national dialogue. He only said since that is what Nigerians want, there is no problem.

But it appears so many Nigerians are clamouring for national dialogue?

You are wrong to say so many Nigerians are clamouring for national conference. One fundamental issue with our country is that less than one per cent decides for Nigerians, which is wrong. In my zone, with nine local governments, national dialogue is not their problem. They have not spoken to me about it. They are rather concerned about Biu-Maiduguri road, Maiduguri-Gwoza road, Biu Dam and insecurity, the level of unemployment in the area. So, when some people say so many Nigerians are clamouring for national dialogue, that is basically untrue. My people like most Nigerians, are concerned about the fundamental purpose of governance, security and their welfare.

What is your take on the issue of rotation of presidency to the north?

I don’t believe in rotation or return of power to a particular part of the country or whatever they chose to call it. At one time, Nigerians were ruled by the colonial masters and I think we were better under them. The white men that came from England were providing us with good leadership. When you talk about rotation, it is simply backwardness. In the US today, a black man is the president and Americans did not and are not talking about rotation or where the man came from, but they are talking about his capacity or otherwise to tackle their problems. At a time in Borno State, the Chief Judge was an Igbo man, the Secretary to the State Government under Governor Mohammed

Ndume

Goni was a Yoruba man and nobody complained.

Today, people are clamouring for rotation, rotating what? If you talk about that we forget about the purpose of leadership. It then becomes a situation of everybody should have his turn, what turn? The most important thing should be good governance and it doesn’t matter where the person comes from. But because there is injustice and tribalism that have come to fore, people are now saying let the power go around but it doesn’t solve the problem. Instead, it creates more problem, let Nigerians insist on good governance; it doesn’t matter where the leader comes from, or the religion he believes in because governance is not about religion, rotation or all these trivial things. I come from Gwoza but my tribe Ville, historically they say we are not more than 100 but here I am today voted by the different tribes in that part of the country as senator. So, rotation brings backwardness as I have said. I have been to Bayelsa and the problem of the poor man there is the same with the poor man in Gwoza; electricity supply, unemployment, water among others.

Why is the North afraid of the confab?

Northerners are not afraid of confab and people should stop making this insinuation. In fact, let me correct this impression that the North is afraid of the proposed conference because people fear the conference could end up in fiasco and possibly break up this country. On the contrary, the North is not afraid of any confab. The issue is that some northerners that have spoken about the dialogue thing are concerned that some people may be participating in the exercise with a mindset. So, northerners do not fear the dialogue thing. But the question is after all these talks, where will the recommendations or report go to? We have been told it will come to the National Assembly and then to the Houses of Assembly, but we should ask ourselves was that not the same channel the last exercise went through and how come nothing is heard of it till today. Go and find out!

Nigeria is increasing, are you not worried about this?

The issue of insurgence and insecurity is not limited to Nigeria or Borno alone, it is a global phenomenon. Unfortunately, it is more in developing or underdeveloped countries. But when you look at Africa, Arab world and Asia it is worst. I tried to look at this thing philosophically and globally. It is very unfortunate that we are witnessing these calamities and one could be tempted to believe in the prediction in holy books that perhaps the end of the world is near.

The insecurity in Borno started like a small problem because of failure in leadership. When the crisis started, it was not well managed and when it got out of hand, the problem became difficult to control. Then the fear of unknown, fear of telling the truth compounded the problem.

JTF was drafted, two years into the insurgency and battling with it, it was escalating. But when armless youths took stick, machete and called themselves gora, the problem started going down. What is there weapon? Truth and truth removes fear. Only truth will save us, only when we seek to address the issue of governance, these challenges can be removed. Once there is no truth in leadership, there will be chaotic followership. We pray we learn.

There are fears in some quarters that Nigeria may break possibly by 2015. What’s your position on that?

I am very optimistic that Nigeria will not break. In fact, Nigeria has gone beyond that. But I agree, our system is failing. There is no contest about that. In the past, many of us went to public schools but the story is different today.

If you are a poor man in Nigeria, there are chances that your children may end up being poor if not poorer than the father because the system does not support them; this is the crux of the matter. Today, Nigerians provide water, electricity for themselves because the system isn’t working. These monies could have been used for productive purpose which could change the life of individuals and by extension the country.

As the chairman of Senate Committee on the Millennium Development Goals, how effective is the MDGs? Well, about 189 countries signed an agreement that by the year 2015, they would have focused their resources and address eight issues namely fight against poverty and hunger, universal basic education, gender equality, child mortality, maternal health care, fight basic diseases liked HIV and Tuberculosis, environmental sustainability and global partnership. Nigeria agreed to commit $1 billion annually for MDGs but unfortunately, Nigeria did not key into it until 2006. This clearly shows we are five years behind and because the MDGs is tied to national budget, from my record, there has never been a year that the $1bn was fully committed. So, when you don’t have financial commitment, achieving the MDGs becomes a great challenge. But Nigeria has made visible and commendable progress. One, there is no hunger in Nigeria but there is poverty. Only good governance can solve that. We are improving in basic education but we still have high number of children who are out of school. Interestingly, the President do sit with us every three month to review the MDGs performance and I think we should commend him for that. As far as I know, there is no African president that does that. All the ministers and National Assembly committee do sit. So, I believe the President is committed to its success by the manner he shows interest and I think it is in this regime that fund are really committed to the MDGs.

The insecurity not just in Borno but in most parts of

WE HAVE BEEN ENGAGING IN DIALOGUE SINCE 1914 AND I THINK IT IS TIME WE PAID

ATTENTION TO GOOD LEADERSHIP AND GOOD GOVERNANCE. IT IS TIME NIGERIANS DEMANDED

FOR GOOD LEADERSHIP AND NOT ENDLESS TALK

What is your take on the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP? I must say that what is happening in our party is very unfortunate. It is still part of the failure of our system.

Honestly, if you carefully study the manifestoes of the PDP and other parties, you will realise there is no much difference. Is there any difference between the PDP and the All Progressives Congress, APC? We are all Nigerians, the same people. So, why do we fight and over what?

It is all part of the distraction of our system, ignoring the real issue which is governance and tasking our leaders to be honest and accountable, to deliver. Rather, we will be chasing shadow.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Views

Monday, October 28, 2013

15

Living thoughts of black poets THE ANTHOLOGY

ABDULWAREES SOLANKE

I

was recently rummaging through my old books when I stumbled on a torn part of an anthology of poetry I had a special interest in. Edited by Professor Wole Soyinka, it was one of the recommended books for the West African School Certificate/General Certificate of Examination Advanced Level Literature-in-English for the 1983-1984 and 1984-1985 academic sessions. Published

by Heinemann under the African Writers Series, it was quite a bulky book, but what I could find remaining of the about 400-page poetry collection from all over black Africa was just 84 pages.

The anthology was systematically and thematically arranged to reflect the faces and phases of African struggle for identity and expression. In all, there are almost 250 poems grouped under 19 themes and featuring the works of notable African poets like Mazizi Kunene, Jared Angira, Odia Ofeimum, Dennis Brutus, Kofi Awonoor, Arthur Notje, Viriato Da Cruz, David and Birago Diop, John Pepper Clark, Rabearivelo, Lenrie Peters, Leopold Sedar Senghor and Wole Soyinka, apart from a number of African traditional folkloric poems adapted from Yoruba, Amharic, Swahili, Zulu and Bakiga. Soyinka noted in his introduction to the anthology that “the poems embrace most of the experience of the African world-modern

WAS SYSTEMATICALLY AND THEMATICALLY ARRANGED TO REFLECT THE FACES AND PHASES OF AFRICAN STRUGGLE FOR IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION and historic ...” noting, “history, the contemporary reality and the vision are the purpose of this anthology: the experience of the black Africa in the idiom of the poem.”

In those days, I had committed quite a number of the poems to memory to facilitate my analyses in the examination. In those years of innocence, perhaps, I did not make so much meaning of the poems beyond their literary appreciations. But over the years since leaving Baptist High School, Iwo in 1985, I have tried to situate the contents and contexts of those poems and compare them with the contemporary African situation. I find that many black Africans have betrayed the anticolonial and nationalistic sentiments of the past heroes, sentiments and concerns that provided the impetus for our independence and nationhood.

Our contemporary experiences suggest something worse than slavery.

The slavery of the past was forceful,

but today, individuals mortgage themselves; individuals skin themselves; and individual black Africans disparage themselves in order to be accepted in the West.

While many of those poems berated slavery and colonialism and lamented various afflictions and exploitation from the West, most of the so called liberated or enlightened Africans now find more pride in western culture to the denigration of our authentic values of fidelity, modesty, hard work and integrity. Now, many African women, sorry ladies, detest the colour of their skin and the denseness of their hair as they must bleach to the last layer of their skin and condition their hair to be blonde to consider themselves civilized. The definition of beauty and enjoyment among many black Africans is borrowed from the materialist and oppressive philosophy of the West. The expression of culture taken from the contemporary European and American lifestyles is violence, alcoholism, hedonism, nakedness and exhibitionism. Their appreciation of trade, business and commerce is competition, exploitation, excessive profiteering as practised in western mercantilism and capitalism. Now, many modern Africans are not bred or fed on the authentic and homely African cuisines but on foreign toasts and fries shunned of any nutritional value.

Another tragedy of many modern Africans is the banishment of courtesy and respect in the homes in the

name of freedom. So, many Africans are shamelessly proud of their American and European accents as a mark of civilization just as it is backwardness to converse in the indigenous languages. Now, children bor n and raised in Africa are more American and European than American and European children. Look at this tragedy: there is a nursery in my former neighborhood in Ikotun called American Mind Builders. This, in Nigeria?

We have British, French, Turkish, and American international schools and a university populated mostly by Nigerian children charging fees in American dollars and creating and pursuing different programmes and standards of education in the country.

What attachment would products of such schools have for Nigeria or what respect would they have for Africa whose values and identity are often denigrated in the western literatures?

As African leaders and countries pursue the agenda of their former overlords in the political and economic realms, they make the continent more unattractive for their citizens. We lament brain drain but we also celebrate pounds and dollar receipts from our slaving sons and daughters sweeping the streets and laboring in the cold rooms, cold nights and mortuaries of the white man. So, what is Africa without an identity? What is Africa without her ideology? What is Africa without the best of Africans working in Africa to develop Africa?

Jonathan and the saboteurs within DONALD EHRIHRI

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan should dread not only those who have publicly declared themselves his political enemies, but also all those who have subtly made themselves the President’s enemies by sabotaging the Federal Government’s projects in the South-South region, because it is such projects that will effectively market the President in the region and beyond. The permutation of President Jonathan’s re-election in 2015 has been characterized by sabotage by his people in the South-South region.

Strangely, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has openly admitted that he was opposed to Jonathan because his administration had not impacted much on the infrastructural development of the region. In as much as there is no justification for Gov. Amaechi to short change and undermine the zone with the rumour of his vice-presidential ambition, the issue of development projects in the zone must be tackled effectively with a view to deterring the so called powerful sons and daughters of South-South extraction from sabotaging the FG’s projects in the zone.

The Amnesty Programme for the Niger Delta region was introduced by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua from the North. It is expected to blossom during the tenure of Jonathan, a son of the soil. The President has consolidated this amnesty policy through strong funding. However,

the controversial outburst of Alhaji Mujaheed Asari Dokubo that they ex-militants were better off under Yar’Adua is an issue of serious concern. This is because the managers of the Amnesty Programme are from Niger Delta who have received maximum support from their brother at the top.

It will be a great disservice to their people and the nation to betray such trust by mismanaging the programme. In the end, their brother and the zone will be the losers. A stitch in time saves nine.

The controversial East-West road is a sore grape in this administration. Governor Rotimi Amaechi has hinged his unwarranted betrayal and rebellion against his people on the poor execution of the rehabilitation of this very crucial road network.

Surprisingly, the managers of this road are South-South people. Whom do they think they are deceiving? The people who have been entrusted with the rehabilitation of this road are those who even have direct access to Mr. President’s bedroom. They are causing Mr. President big credibility problem by their dismal performance on the road project.

The most worrisome in the list of economic sabotage against the South-South region and the national economy is the stiff opposition to the dredging and management of Calabar Port channel by a prominent South-South leader who occupies a strategic position in the government and who has the ears of Mr. President. For a very long time now, maritime stakeholders have expressed concern over the low commercial activi-

THE PERMUTATION OF PRESIDENT JONATHAN’S REELECTION IN 2015 HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED

BY SABOTAGE BY HIS

PEOPLE IN THE

SOUTH-

SOUTH REGION

ties at the port because ocean going vessels rarely berth there due to the low depth of the waters. For a long time, the dredging and management of the Calabar Port channel has been mired in controversy. Out of his patriotic zeal and passion for his people and the national economy, the President took the bull by the horn by approving contract for the dredging of the port and management of its channel.

This is a wonderful gesture that should be supported by all patriots and supporters of Mr. President to help burnish his image as an achiever. Yet, this prominent SouthSouth leader out of his selfish interest had used his official position to flout presidential directive, frustrate and sabotage this laudable project. If Mr. President is seeking for enemies of his administration, he should tick this South-South leader who is frustrating and sabotaging the Calabar Port project as his number one enemy.

Was it not long ago that the materials

meant for the rehabilitation of the eastern corridor rail line from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri were stolen at the Port Harcourt-Enugu axis of the rehabilitated rail line? Who is fooling who here? Is it not our brother Jonathan that should take the entire blame? One thing central in all the sabotaging acts is that Mr. President had granted necessary approvals and funding for these projects and their thwarting and sabotaging is from the people he trusts.

Mr. President should therefore, shine his eyes and read the riot act to these project managers to execute these projects successfully. He should make sure that approvals he has granted for the execution of certain projects are not compromised.

He should shun ill-advice from pretenders and hypocrites around him who are serious liabilities and nuisance to him. Patriotic South-South leaders should equally rise up against these saboteurs.

Mr. President should realize that the successful execution of these projects is a credit to him and a tool for his re-election campaign. It is equally a strategic instrument to silence his enemies.

Ehrihri, a public affairs commentator, wrote from Warri, Delta State

Send your views by mail or sms to PMB 10001, Ikoyi, or our Email: mail@ nationalmirroronline.net mirrorlagos@ yahoo.com or 08164966858 (SMS only). The Editor reserves the right to edit and reject views or photographs.

Pseudonyms may be used but must be clearly marked as such.

Editorial

16

Monday, October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

All the Facts, All the Sides A PUBLICATION OF GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LTD BARRISTER JIMOH IBRAHIM, OFR PUBLISHER

FIDELIS LEMCHI OWOAMANAM

ACTING MD/CEO

BOLAJI TUNJI

DAILY EDITOR

SEYI FASUGBA

SUNDAY EDITOR

T

GBEMI OLUJOBI

SATURDAY EDITOR

DOZIE OKEBALAMA

COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD

CALLISTUS OKE

EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR

ISE-OLUWA IGE

ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF

KAYODE BALOGUN JNR

SM, STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT

FRANK OBOH

HEAD, GRAPHICS

Associated Airlines’ crash: Matters arising

he nation witnessed yet another rude shock on Thursday October 3, 2013, as a result an air mishap involving an Embraer 120 ER air plane belonging to Associated Airlines, on a flight to Akure, Ondo State that crashed. The ill-fated charter aircraft was conveying the corpse of former Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, some family members and officials of the state government from Lagos to Akure when it went down in Lagos shortly after takeoff. Thirteen of the 20 persons on board died. This latest tragedy happened just 15 months after the one involving Dana Airlines, which occurred on June 6, 2012. In that crash 163 persons perished.

Nigeria’s air space has attracted the notoriety of being one of the most dangerous in the world.

The first air disaster in the country occurred on Sunday, April 12, 1942 at about 8:15 pm in the agrarian town of Ikogosi, a town in the present Ekiti State, when a cargo plane used to convey arms and ammunition during the then raging Second World War plunged into a hill in the dense forest of the community. Since that incident till 2004, Nigeria only recorded seven major air crashes. But between 2005 and 2013, a period of just eight years,

UNLESS DRASTIC MEASURES ARE TAKEN

BY THE AUTHORITIES TO ADDRESS THE

NAGGING PROBLEM, THE NATION MAY BE IN FOR THE WORST IN FUTURE the country has witnessed about four major air disasters.

On October 6, 2005, a Boeing 737 belonging to Bellview Airline crashed in Ifo, near Lagos. All the 117 passengers on board perished.

That same year on December 10, a Sosoliso Airlines’ DC-9 crashed while attempting to land in Port Harcourt. Most of the 103 casualties were school children going home for the Christmas holiday.

A year later on September 17, 2006 an 18-seater Dornier 228 Air Force transport plane which had 15 senior army officers on board crashed in Oko village in Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State.

There were only three survivors.

Then on June 3, 2012 a Boeing MD-83 operated by Dana Airlines Limited crashed into a building in the densely populated area of Iju

Ishaga, Lagos, killing a total of 163 persons on board. Then the latest, the Associated Airlines’ one of October 3.

Each of these accidents invariably drew the promises of aviation regulatory authorities to avert a recurrence. Yet air disasters have continued unabated. Only a couple of days ago, another air disaster that would have involved an IRS Airline aircraft with 89 passengers on board was averted in Kaduna due to precautionary measures taken by the pilots. The air plane reportedly developed mechanical problems and was assisted to land.

Nigerians have become weary as a result of the seeming helplessness of the aviation regulatory agencies stemming the tide of perennial crashes. The authorities always appear to wake up to their responsibilities only after a disaster occurred. Therefore, the latest air crash calls for a clinical probe, especially in the light of certain allegations that have been made concerning the circumstances of the crash. Firstly, the aircraft was said not to be in a good condition; and that this fact was physically noticeable and was, indeed, confirmed by one of the passengers that survived the crash. It was also

claimed that the engineer who certified the aircraft for the trip was negligent and ought to have recommended that the plane should not be flown.

In addition, there are unconfirmed reports that the genuineness of the insurance cover of the aircraft was in doubt, to mention a few. All these are serious issues that call for an in-depth investigation by the relevant authorities.

Little wonder many are clamouring for the sack of the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah.

The parlous state of the nation’s roads may also be fingered as one of the remote reasons people choose to fly, no matter no short the journey may be. Had the road been in good shape, the idea of conveying a corpse from Lagos to Akure by flight would probably not have been attractive. Therefore, fixing the country’s decrepit roads ought to form part of the solutions needed to ease pressure on the aviation sector.

Unless drastic measures are taken by the authorities to address the troubling problem of incessant air disasters and avoidable waste of lives, with all their socio-economic implications, the nation may be in for the worst in future.

ON THIS DAY October 28, 1995 About 289 people were killed and 265 others injured in the Baku Metro fire, the deadliest subway disaster. The fire broke out in the subway system of Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, between the Ulduz and Nariman Narimanov stations. The fire was deemed to have been caused by electrical malfunction, but the possibility of deliberate sabotage was not excluded. The fire remains the world’s deadliest subway disaster.

October 28, 2006 The funeral service took place for those executed at Bykivnia forest, outside Kiev, Ukraine. Roughly 817 Ukrainian civilians (out of some 100,000) executed by Bolsheviks at Bykivnia in 1930s – early 1940s were reburied. The Bolsheviks were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903.

October 28, 2007 Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner became the first woman elected President of Argentina. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (born February 19, 1953) is the 52nd and current President of Argentina and widow of former President Nestor Kirchner. She is Argentina’s first elected female president, the second woman to hold the position (after Isabel Martínez de Perón, 1974–1976) and the first woman re-elected.

A2 18

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Cover

The Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) rekindles hope for a new revenue sharing formula that would be more equitable and essentially directed at meeting the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians.

Will the December deadline be realistic? Will the new formula be acceptable to all concerned?

By Tola Akinmutimi, Abuja

A

fter about two years of tortuous journey aimed at producing a new revenue sharing template for the tiers of government, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) will within the next two months deliver on its promise to give Nigerians ‘a fair, equitable and generally acceptable allocation formula that will meet the aspirations of the people.

The demand for a new formula has been a major issue in public discourse over the last decade as analysts, including political leaders and citizens at the sub-national level, believed the current formula had not only outlived its usefulness but constituted a major source of corruption in public governance occasioned by its structural lopsidedness.

The Federal Government currently takes 52.68 per cent of the allocations from the Federation Account while the States and the Local Governments share the balance in the ratio of 26.72 per cent and 20.60 per cent respectively.

Indeed, socio-economic experts have adduced the state of under-development and poverty in the country largely to the current ‘top-heavy, bottom-light’ revenue allocation arrangement which allows the Federal Government to have so much money in its vaults while the states and local governments have less and the welfare of ordinary Nigerians

continue to suffer in the face of fiscal recklessness of the leaderships.

Worse still, rather than even spending the funds on people-oriented capital projects that would help in transforming the lives of the ordinary people and create a strong base for sustainable growth of the economy, the political leaders have in most cases turn Nigeria into their personal fiefdoms, appropriating the commonwealth on self-serving interests by either corruptly stealing or using the allocation from the Federation Account on personal assets and ostentatious living.

Even in the absence of scientifically verifiable data, it is generally believed that less than 20 per cent of the yearly budgets is committed to people-oriented programmes while the larger portion goes on recurrent expenditures.

As a means of ensuring that some of the fiscal profligacy at the Federal level is curtailed, many analysts have continued to agitate a restructuring that would get more funds to the other tiers of government where, in their opinion, the governments are closer to the people who, if abandoned, could naturally hold the leaders accountable for their plight.

It is therefore in response to the yearnings of the people and other interest groups that the RMAFC decided to conduct the current exercise with a view to entrenching some fairness and equity in the revenue distributions amongst the tiers of government and

Mbam

also use the new formula as corrective tool in the old structural defective fiscal federalism regime.

Speaking on the commencement of the exercise in the third quarter of 2011, Chairman of the Commission, Elias Mbam, said extensive consultations and other socio-economic statistical indices would be analysed so that what is produced at the end of the exercise would reflect the aspirations of Nigerians and also support national drive to achieve improved developments at the grassroots.

Mbam, who disclosed this when the Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo visited the Commission, said the Commission had a serious task to accomplish but assured the governor that the members were ready to serve the country to the best of their ability in the assignment and promised to give Nigeria the best.

He said: “We share be fair and just in handling the issue of revenue sharing as our actions or inactions will have serious impact in the development of the country. What we will come out with will be acceptable to majority of our people.

“We shall look at all indices relevant to the new revenue sharing formula based on their merit and dispassionately. We plead that all states give us the necessary support as we go round to collate

these crucial indices by ensuring that all data provided are reliable and based on socio-economic realities of their domains”, Mbam assured.

Over the last months, the commission had been crisiscrossing the geo-political zones and organising workshops, seminars and other public enlightenment programmes in order to enlist the support of all stakeholders for the success of the project.

In addition to the formal fora organised in the various

Business Courage A Publication of GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LTD BARRISTER JIMOH IBRAHIM, OFR PUBLISHER SEMIU SALAMI ADEJUWON OSUNNUYI BIODUN ALADE EMMANUEL OGBONNAYA

EDITOR STAFF WRITER REPORTER REPORTER

SEYI OKUMODI

SENIOR GRAPHIC ARTIST

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

A3 19

Okonjo-Iweala, Finance Minister

Abubakar

geo-political zones, Mbam has also been leading members of the Commission on leg walks to opinion leaders, experts and other interest groups as part of the Commission’s efforts to carry everybody along.

As expected, the journey has been rigorous and findings more revealing to the commission that it ever anticipated. Political intrigues and other ethno-religious and cultural factors have featured prominently during the discourse in such a way that the earlier Q1, 2012 target set for release of the new formula became unrealistic. RMAFC had to shift the deadline by one year to address the issues thrown up by the primordial and political forces.

Despite all the hurdles, Mbam recently disclosed that the ‘sailing ship’ of the new revenue sharing formula has berthed and that what remained now was for the ‘sailor’ and members of his ‘crew’ to collate all they discovered during the ‘voyage’.

Looking at his countenance as he spoke, it was quite clear that the journey had been stormy but like every captain of any ship that survives the turbulent moments of his adventure, the Commission’s chairman and his other commissioners and legislators that visited former Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakar (rtd.), in Abuja for his advice, exuded confidence that they will fulfil their promise to Nigerians.

Speaking on the state of the exercise during an interactive session with journalists, the RMAFC boss explained that all that was needed from the fields to produce the new formula had been got and that release of the formula would be done before the end of the year.

Speaking on the outcome of the interactive session his delegation had with the former Head of State, Mbam, said the parley was fruitful as members were better informed on issues that would ultimately

determine the outcome of the ongoing exercise.

According to him, the visit availed members of the delegation the opportunity to learn more about the materials that they needed to put into use for the exercise and assured that by the time the Commission finished ongoing consultations and all the inputs from all Nigerians were considered, the new revenue formula will reflect the issues of the people and will also be sustainable.

Mbam, said the promise to deliver a new formula this year remained sacrosanct and that the Commission would work on the various inputs from stakeholders and its own findings on the field to meet the deadline earlier set for completion of the project.

He explained: “With this visit, we are more enriched with the materials that we use for the consideration of this activity, and I can assure you, by the time we finish all the consultations and all the in-

puts from all Nigerians, we’ll come up with a new revenue formula that will reflect the issues of the people and will also be sustainable. I have not changed my position; I am saying we have a proposed new revenue formula by the end of the year.

“After this visit, next is to go into retreat and we will produce the result, we have all the materials, we have materials of all the responsibilities of each tier of government, their expenditure profile, the revenue that accrues to them, and we are going to consider in that direction, what are the responsibilities of each tier of government and what we do feel is reasonable for them to accomplish that responsibility”, Mbam added.

In his remarks, General Abubakar, lent his voice to agitations by states and local governments for bigger shares in the Federation Account, saying that the Federal Government should hands off from certain responsibilities that ordinarily are better handled by the sub-national governments.

Specifically, he canvassed the devolution of responsibilities in some sectors like edu-

cation and others by the Federal Government that could be better handled at sub-national level and touch directly on the welfare of the citizens at the grassroots.

He said: “I agree with Nigerians that the Federal Government is taking too much responsibility. I will rather see an un-dilution of the activities of the Federal Government.

For example, federal government has nothing to do with secondary school education and neither does the state governments. I think this is the responsibility of our local government areas”.

As Nigerians look forward to the release of the longawaited formula, the questions many analysts are pondering over is, first, will RMAFC meet the expectations of the sub-national governments for substantial improvements in their shares from the Federation Account?

Secondly, is there any assurance that greater funds at the disposal of sub-national governments will translate to real grassroots transformation?

These and many others are what only the political leaders can offer some answers. BC

A4 20

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Feature

Despite the concerted efforts by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to support the development of agriculture in the country, Nigeria is still regrettably among the African countries lagging behind in the World Bank’s projected funding of the sector. Can the current transformation initiatives in the agric sector really address the problem?

By Biodun Alade

T

he present administration through the Agriculture Transformation Agenda (ATA) has initiated various policy measures to properly reposition as a key revenue earner not only to the government, but also a major source of employment to the large pool of jobless Nigerians.

However, in spite of these frantic efforts, the investment in the sector is yet to meet the World Bank-dictated 10 per cent of public expenditure, going by the recent revelation at the Agriculture and Finance ministers’ from sub-Sahara Africa meeting at the just concluded World bank-IMF meeting in the United States “In Africa, even more so than in other regions in the world, agriculture growth is hugely important for any effort to end poverty and promote shared prosperity. Economic activity in agriculture typically accounts for 30 to 40 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and there is global evidence showing that productivity improvements in agriculture can have a poverty impact close to three times that of other sectors of society,” Makhtar Diop, World Bank Vice President for Africa, told the ministers.

Already, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Malawi, Mali, Niger and Senegal have met or exceeded the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) 10 per cent target,” said Sari

Söderström Feyzioglu, Senior Manager for Sustainable Development in the Africa Region.

“On our side, it has been a win-win opportunity as well.

CAADP has helped to align the Bank’s strategic focus and strengthen its strategic partnerships for optimal development impact,” he said.

Since 2003, 32 countries have created national agriculture investment plans that lay out priorities for meeting the CAADP goals. On average, public agriculture expenditures have risen by over seven per cent per year across Africa (more than 12 per cent in a year in low income countries) and have more than doubled since CAADP’s launch, signaling greater recognition of the agricultural sector as an engine of growth and poverty reduction.

Abebe Haile Gabriel, the African Union Director for Rural Economy and Agriculture, noted that the Commission had designated 2014 as African Union’s (AU) Year of Agriculture and Food Security. The AU will launch its new plan for CAADP called “Sustaining the CAADP Momentum.”

CAADP was endorsed at the African Union Heads of State Summit as a New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) programme in July 2003.

The overall goal of CAADP is to “Help African countries reach a higher path of economic growth through agriculture- led development, which eliminates hunger, reduces poverty and food insecurity, and enables expansion of exports.”

CAADP is a growth-oriented agricultural development agenda, aimed at increasing agriculture growth rates to a minimum of six per cent per year to create the wealth needed for rural communities and households in Africa to prosper.

To achieve this goal, CAADP focuses its interventions in four key pillars to achieve measurable outcomes, namely, extending the area under sustainable land management and reliable water control systems, improving rural infrastructure and trade-related capacities for market access, increasing food supply, reducing hunger, and improving responses to food emergency crises; and improving agriculture research, technology dissemination and adoption.

In essence, CAADP is about bringing together diverse key players – at the continental, regional and national levels - to improve co-ordination, to share knowledge, successes and failures, to encourage one another, and to promote joint and separate efforts to achieve the CAADP goals.

CAADP aims to help African countries reach a higher path of economic growth through agriculture-led development, with the overall goal of eliminating hunger and reduce poverty through agriculture.

Through CAADP, African governments have agreed to increase public investment in agriculture by a minimum of 10 per cent of their national budgets and to raise agricultural productivity by at least six per

cent.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has assured Nigerian at different fora that the Federal Government “is very much in support of agriculture”, adding that “it is imperative that we diversify the economy.” According to him, “oil is going to go away. There is no doubt that agriculture is the sector that will take Nigeria to the next level, especially when it comes to creating wealth.”

During a presentation at the recent Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Dr. Adesina had explained that the government has been working very

Diop

hard to reposition the agric sector as a very serious sector able to create wealth. “We are looking at agriculture, finance, aviation, irrigation, activities of women in agriculture, research and development, considered very important in increasing productivity. We are looking at trade and competitiveness,”.

For Nigeria, the minister noted that Nigeria should be a mega player, just like Brazil and Argentina, pointing out that it is not the job of government to unlock the potentials in agriculture but that of the private sector.

He had promised to use the summit as another opportunity

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

to get the private sector talking about the entire value chain in agriculture. According to him, “agriculture is a big sector. Nigeria has to work hard to play in it.”

In Nigeria, agriculture remains one of the mainstays of the economy since it is the largest sector in terms of its share in employment.

In an effort to diversify her oil base economy, Nigeria is placing much emphasis on financing other sectors most especially agricultural sector, since the sector has the potentials to stimulate economic growth through provision of raw materials, food, jobs and increased financial stability. Agriculture financing is thus, one of the most important instruments of economic policy for Nigeria, in her effort to stimulate development in all directions.

Industry analysts are unanimous in their submission that finance is required by agricultural sector to purchase land, construct buildings, acquire machinery and equipment, hire labour, irrigationamong others.

In certain cases, loans may also be needed to purchase new and appropriate technologies, noting that not only can finance remove financial constraints; it may also accelerate the adoption of new technologies.

Agriculture finance refers to either public or private resources in form of equity, gift or loan for improving social welfare through development of agricultural sector. It is not only restricted to government funds but also funds from non-gov-

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

ernmental organisations that use matching grants to promote community and sector development, income equality and local empowerment.

Public funds are subsidized funds and private funds regardless of their price, are not subsidised, unless a contribution is tax free or the market price is affected by an explicit or implicit state guarantee of the liabilities of a development finance institution.

Agriculture financing is a development strategy in a variety of ways. It promotes agricultural investment and adoption of technology necessary to spur economic growth. Although agriculture finance is only one of the growth factors, it is one of the more important factors in attaining the objectives for development.

It is often assumed that there is an excess supply of labour, and growth is only constrained by availability and productivity of capital in developing countries.

Agriculture financing is mainly a long-term financing (that is, capital structure) that aims at inducing agricultureled growth and development in an economy. Long-term foreign capital flows take several different forms. The broad groups include foreign direct investment, portfolio equity investment, official development assistance and foreign loans.

The last of these groups can be further sub-divided into development loan stocks, loans from bilateral, multilateral and international capital market, bond finance, and other private loans.

Long-term domestic capitals include domestic public and private savings, gains from international trade, loan and advances from domestic banks, domestic public and private debt and share capital.

According to literature, agriculture financing can be divided into the non-debt (non -leverage) and debt (leverage) categories. Debt represents funds with fixed contractual financial obligations, to which the resources of a nation might be plead as collateral. To cope adequately, in the long-run, a nation’s debt- servicing capacity must grow at a rate not less than the growth rate of its debt burden.

Non-debt funds on the other hand, do not impose fixed or compulsory servicing obligations on the nation. The regularity and magnitude of nondebt resource flows, however, depend on perceived country risk, relative investment yield and enabling factors such as the quality of governance.

As often stressed by development literature, agricultural surplus is important for the structural transformation accompanying economic growth.

This is based on the view that

Jonathan

Adesina

the agricultural sector should transfer to the non-agricultural sector, the “surpluses of” investible” resources generated in agriculture.

On this basis, it is suggested (implicitly or explicitly) that developing countries must extract resources from agriculture for successful industrial development.

The bilateral causality between agricultural growth and economic growth implies that agricultural surplus is important for the structural transformation accompanying economic growth in Nigeria. On the other hand, economic growth spurs modern mechanization of agriculture. The bi-directional relationship between agricultural growth and financing implies that agriculture financing is necessary policy instrument because the changes in land tenure and improvement/adoption of techniques that made agricultural growth possible required substantial outlays of capital.

Thus, agricultural growth

influence roles play by financing institutions that provide capital for economic development. The unidirectional causality from economic growth to financing is much expected because a growing economy attracts much needed finance for her development.

Agriculture financing is essential in development strategies in a variety of ways. It promotes agricultural investment and adoption of technology necessary to spur economic growth. It has been shown that most African countries (Nigeria inclusive) have inadequate levels of domestic savings, which could be directed to investment and insufficient export earnings required to import capital goods for investment.

For the target rate of agriculture-led economic growth to be achieved, there would have be external financing (either as foreign investment or foreign borrowing) to fill the gaps. To this end, the need to investigate impact of agriculture financing appears more imperative for

A5 21

economic growth in Nigeria.

However, expansion of capital investment and increase in productivity of agricultural investment should be more appropriately financed with domestic savings, foreign private loan, share capital, foreign direct investment and development stocks are among suggested recommendations for agriculture-led economic growth.

Agricultural development remains very vital to the growth and development of every economy. The sector’s roles include improving food security, resource employment and poverty alleviation. Currently, agriculture accounts for the single largest portion (about 40 per cent) of national economic output (GDP) in Nigeria but so far, both private and public sectors investment in terms of loans and credit to agricultural development have been meager and disappointing.

The private investment in agriculture in terms of banks’ credits is the least among all economic sectors, as banks are generally reluctant to finance agriculture.

For instance, from 20062008, the average total annual flow of bank credits to agriculture was only 2.27 per cent of their total credit.

In public sector investment to agriculture, within 20022007, the Federal Government spends 4.3 per cent while state governments spend on the average, 3.4 per cent. Moreover, the long term average ratio of agriculture to GDP is about 0.07, indicating less than one tenth of the sector’s share of the GDP. This collaborates with the observation by analysts that public policy towards agriculture in Nigeria prior to 1974 has been taxing agriculture to finance other sectors.

The huge financing gap in the agricultural sector also manifests itself in Federal government budgets. The projected Federal Government funding for agriculture and food security over a four year period (20082011) is about N935 billion.

But, total federal budget for agriculture and water resources in 2008 was less than N120 billion, as against the projected funding needs of about N319 billion for 2008. This meager flow of credits does not correspond with agriculture’s status in the national economy.

Growth in any sector of an economy is premised upon capital accumulation and increased individual and household savings. Savings, to a large extent, determine the growth rate of the productive capacity and output.

Regrettably, the relative poverty of the rural populace in Nigeria hampers savings and investment potentials and this has continued to perpetuate low growth and productivity in agricultural sector. BC

A6 22

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Yusuf

LCCI commends CBN on financial stability

T

he Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), has said that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), had achieved its goal of financial stability, within the last four years.

The LCCI Director-General, Muda Yusuf, said that the bank was able to achieve that through effective fiscal and monetary policies.

He added that the absence of any untoward incident during the period which would have resulted in the loss of depositors’ funds was an indication of the positive development in the sector.

According to him, the major benefits of the CBN reforms included: improvement in corporate governance, stability of the financial system, intervention funds to support the real sector, power sector, and the aviation sector.

Yusuf said that the introduction of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), had saved the financial system from collapse and the cashless policy had enhanced the payment system in the country.

The LCCI boss stressed that most banks recorded stronger balance sheets, while incidences of non-performing loans were reduced, saying that that had made depositor’s funds safer.

He also added that the scrapping of the universal banking system was a welcome development which had made banks to focus more on the core business of banking. ``During the universal banking era, they were involved in all manner of businesses, including real estate, importation of consumer products, insurance, leasing, and printing, and so on. ``These various channels made the banks to put depositors’ funds at great risks. ``Therefore, the scrapping of the universal banking system brought some focus and stability to the financial system,’’ he said.

Yusuf said that the CBN had been effective in the realisation of its core mandate, to ensure monetary and price

stability.

The process, he said, led to single digit inflation, a stable exchange rate for the past three years and increased foreign reserves, with occasional fluctuations.

Yusuf, however, said that the persistent monetary policy tightening by the CBN had hurt the economy, as interest rates remained high, while liquidity in the economy remained increasingly tight.

He said that that was the negative outcome of the policy choices made by the current CBN governor.

He also noted that a major failure of the banking system under the CBN Gov., Lamido Sanusi, was the disconnection from the real economy.

The LCCI boss noted that it was worrisome that banks were becoming ‘more prosperous’ while the real economy was ‘contracting’ due to challenges of access to funds and the cost of credit. ``This reflects a major failure of financial intermediation which ought to be the essence of banking. The structure of funds in the banking system today cannot support the growth of the real sector.

Interest rates range from 18 per cent to 25 per cent, tenure of funds is generally less than one year,” he added.

Frankfurt.

Oil supplies have improved in recent weeks with higher output from several producers in the Middle East and North Africa and several analysts see oil heading lower.

“Balances are not as tight as we or the market had expected,” said Virendra Chauhan, oil analyst at Londonbased consultancy Energy Aspects.

“The worst of this year’s supply shortfalls is now behind us, with maintenance at nonOPEC fields largely complete and some of the lost OPEC production also coming back in Libya, Nigeria and Iraq,” Chauhan added.

Ajifowobaje

Pre-paid meters: Indigenous firms partner Ikeja DISCO on Oil slips below $107 as installation supply improves

B

rent crude oil fell below $107 a barrel on Friday in a third day of falls on concerns over increasing supply and faltering demand despite signs of faster economic growth in China.

Worries that the escalating war in Syria could disrupt Middle East oil supplies pushed Brent to a six-month high above $117 in August.

Prices have dropped more than $10 a barrel since then and some analysts see further falls ahead.

US light crude oil has been depressed by a seasonal dip in demand and increasing domestic oil production that has boosted stockpiles, particularly in the US Gulf coast.

Brent crude for December was down 20 cents a barrel to $106.79 early on Friday, down three per cent on the week.

US crude oil was up 20 cents at $97.31, although still down around 3.5 per cent on the week, its biggest weekly loss since June. ``We are seeing some consolidation after several days of falls. But the fact that prices have not bounced back is quite bearish. The risks are still to the downside,” said Commerzbank senior oil and commodities analyst Carsten Fritsch in

S

ix indigenous pre-paid meters manufacturing companies have said that they were partnering the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company on meter procurement and installation to customers.

The zone launched the Credited Advanced Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI) scheme in Lagos.

Addressing stakeholders at the launch of the scheme in Ikeja, Abiodun Ajifowobaje, Chief Executive Officer, Ikeja DISCO, said the scheme was necessary to urgently address complaints by consumers about estimated billing.

Ajifowobaje explained that consumers could apply and pay for meters which would be installed within 48 hours.

He said the scheme had not overridden the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO) introduced in June 2012.

The MYTO scheme provides that the meter should be supplied free to consumers and paid for as tariff on monthly basis.

The PHCN boss explained that due to lack of funds to procure enough meters from manufacturers at the moment, CAPMI would enable consumers obtain them by paying first and get refunded over a period of time.

He said that the zone agreed to partner with the indigenous firms after many months of consultation with the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and other relevant stakeholders in the power sector.

Ajifowobaje said that the CAPMI scheme was optional and was designed for consumers who were willing to advance money to their distribution companies for speedy installation of prepaid meters. ``Customers are then refunded for the cost of the meter by way of monthly reductions on the fixed charge elements on their electricity bills over time. ``The scheme is meant for customers to pay up-front for the purchase of the meter. The cost of the meter will be refunded to the customers through a billing process spread across for three years with 12 per cent interest,’’ he said.

He, however, said that customers would bear the cost of the accessories of the metre, while vendors with registered account with DISCO would provide 24-hour installation service to the customers. ``The amount to be paid will be publicised after discussing with the manufacturers.

But l believe it will be within the range of N25,000 for single phase pre-paid metres and N35,000 for three phases metre.

One of the metre manufacturers, the Managing Director, MOMAS System Ltd., Mr Kola Balogun, said: “CAPMI had come to stay.

“We will make it work and it is a way to relieve consumers from the constant ‘crazy bill’ and estimated billing, but as a manufacturing company our aim is to key into the policy of the scheme. We can assure you that as soon as any consumer pays, metre will be made available within the shortest time frame, between 24 or 48 hours.’’

Ohuabunwa

Chamber boss appeals to FG to honour agreement

S

am Ohuabunwa, National President, Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), says Nigeria should

respect the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) for increased foreign direct investments from the US. Ohuabunwa said this at the 53rd Annual General Meeting of NACC held in Lagos on Friday.

TIFA provides strategic framework and principles for dialogue on trade and investment issues between the U.S. and other countries.

According to Ohuabunwa, a focus on TIFA would create joint mechanism for the development of an action plan to expand the current $39 billion trade volume between both countries.

He said that even though both countries currently faced the challenge of transforming their economies to improve global competitiveness, there were ample opportunities for business partnerships.

“United States and Nigeria continue to be very strong economic partners, even in the face of challenges. Nigeria is indeed the US largest trading partner in Africa due largely to the high level of trade in petroleum products. This accounts for nearly 46 per cent of Nigeria’s daily oil production,” he said.

Ohuabunwa said that NACC was supporting the Federal Government in its quest to develop the non-oil sector for the growth of the economy.

“We have organised conferences to expose our members to developments in the agricultural sector with particular reference to cassava production,” he said.

Ohuabunwa appealed to the Federal Government not to relent in its efforts in combating insecurity, adding that insecurity was limiting the survival and growth of businesses.

“The huge resources being invested to bring the security situation under control could have gone into the provision of social amenities and the upgrade of infrastructure. It must however be emphasised that insecurity is a threat to investment. It is hoped that the current efforts at resolving the issues will be sustained,” Ohuabunwa said.

Construction of river ports will boost development – NIWA boss

T

he Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Hajiya Inna Ciroma has said the construction of river ports would boost the economy of the country.

Ciroma who disclosed this in Abuja named the construction sites for the river ports to include Onitsha (Anambra),

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

A7 23

News ment as a means of reducing poverty in various communities.

ble, on the need to renew their policies before they expired.

Insurance products on kidnapping, terrorism not possible now – Expert Ciroma

Oguta (Imo), Baro and Jamata (Kogi).

The NIWA boss said the construction of the ports would also reduce the pressure and carnage on the roads and also prolong the life span of the roads.

She said the private sectors would be encouraged in bringing in their heavy goods through the river port as it would reduce the pressure on the roads. ``The Federal Government and our agency is putting every efforts in ensuring that the ports are completed and maintained effectively as it will enhance economy,’’ she said.

Ciroma said the objective of NIWA was to manage Nigeria`s inland waterway resources.

She said that NIWA encourages private investments on the inland waterways in pursuit of government`s Policy of Private Programme (PPP).

Ciroma said the objective of PPP was to accelerate investment in new infrastructure and to ensure that existing infrastructure was upgraded to a standard that meets the aspirations of the public. ``We are in the process to approach the programme with the PPP and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) because they are the authority that handles the work. We are also working with them and the World Bank to come up with the modalities on the construction of all the river ports,’’ she said.

The Managing Director said that ICRC was mandated to develop the guidelines policies and procurement processes of PPP. She said that most people fishing in the river land communities are women, adding that it would enhance development particularly in agriculture and in business. ``If the women can be encouraged on such activities, it will reduce poverty and hardship in various communities and improve development in the country. My passion always has been how we can improve on the Nigerian women and I believe that the efforts can increase their activities in economic,’’ she said.

Ciroma advised Nigerian women to come up with activities that would create employ-

A

former President, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), Sunny Adeda says the development of insurance products on kidnapping and terrorism is not possible for now.

Adeda who spoke in Lagos on Friday at the maiden Insurance Consumers’ Forum of the Almond Production, noted that kidnapping and terrorism are challenges which the industry may tackle in the long run as the duo are taking new dimensions every day.

“The difficulty in providing insurance products is being able to put statistics on kidnapping and terrorism together to have an appropriate pricing to be paid as premium. May be the industry can start working with the police and law enforcement agents to get statistics

Koledoye

on kidnapping and terrorism before they can put any policy together,” he said.

He said that this could only be possible in the long run as the challenges would not be easy to overcome in the short run without statistics.

Ganiyu Koledoye, President, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), said that the industry should step up the level of insurance marketing.

In a paper titled “Marketing and Sales of Insurance as an Intangible Product”, Koledoye advised insurance companies to be marketing oriented.

According to them, if operators embrace the marketing orientation approach, they would not need any consumer forum to know their problems.

He urged them to go beyond selling insurance products by knowing their customers’ profiles and personal life styles.

Koledoye said also that insurance companies needed constant communication with their customers to remind them, as many times as possi-

Tanoh

Ecobank opens representative office in Ethiopia

E

cobank Transnational Incorporated, Ecobank, has opened its Ethiopian representative office in Addis Ababa, thus brings the total number of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in which Ecobank has a presence to 35.

According to a statement at the weekend, the Group obtained a license to operate a representative office in July 2013. The representative office, located in the Yerer Ber district of Addis Ababa, which is close to both the airport and the city centre, will initially have a staff of three.

“Via the Addis Ababa representative office, local Ethiopian banks will be able to access Ecobank’s correspondent banking and trade finance activities across Africa, as well as correspondent banking in Europe via Ecobank’s affiliate in Paris, EBI SA.”, the statement said.

It said Ecobank will be marketing the benefits of its pan-African platform to international and non-governmental organizations with operations in Ethiopia and local banks, together with its leading retail product offerings, including Rapid transfer, the Ecobank Regional Card and the Ecobank Diasporan Account.

Again under the auspices of Ecobank Development Corporation, the Group will also be investigating investment banking opportunities resulting from the country’s five-year Growth and Transformation Plan, which is encouraging foreign investment to enhance productivity in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors in particular.

“Ethiopia has emerged as one of Africa’s most exciting new markets and is forecast to be the world’s third fastest growing economy between 2011 and 2015, behind only China and India,” commented Ecobank’s Group CEO, Thierry Tanoh.

“Our Addis Ababa representative office will provide us with an opportunity to establish an important foothold in Ethiopia, ahead of the anticipated deregulation of the banking sector. With continued market reforms and the government’s pro-business agenda, Ethiopia is positioned for sustained rapid growth and the introduction of mobile banking will be a game changer in terms of bringing financial services to Ethiopia’s unbanked population of around 80 million people,” he said.

SON wields the big stick to salvage textile sector

By Emmanuel Ogbonnaya

T

he Standards organisation of Nigeria, (SON) has began the enforcement of product standardization by forcefully removing various adulterated and fake textile brands from the markets in a nationwide exercise that is set to salvage the sector and reinstate consumers’ confidence in the high quality of Nigerian brands.

The exercise, which commenced last Friday at the Balogun and Oshodi markets in Lagos and coordinated by combined teams of the SON enforcement unit and men from the State Police command, became necessary due to the prevalence of fake Nigerian brands like , Da Viva and Excellence imported from Asia.

Addressing newsmen after the raid on the importers and dealers of the fake brands, SON head of inspectorate and compliance, Engr. Bede Obayi noted that most Nigerian textile industries are dead because Nigerians and other nationals bring in substandard fabrics into the country.

“They are taking Nigerian made brands overseas to replicate them in inferior shades to sell here in the country which is not healthy for the sector as the sector is now almost moribund,” he said.

He said that most of the textile factories in the country have died not because they

lacked the capacity or technology to produce quality products but because they cannot compete against inferior imitations of their brands coming into the country from Asia.

“SON has been monitoring the products of these indigenous companies under our mandatory conformity assessment programme (MANCAP) and we can attest to their conformity to quality standards. However today we have said that enough is enough, we have to go to the markets and find out all those people who are committing all these economic sabotage against Nigeria,” he said.

He said it was most annoying that the sabotage is being committed against Nigerian brands which are known for quality like the Da Viva brand which has been developed by a local manufacturer and has created jobs for Nigerians.

“This operation is ongoing and we are going to seize all these fake imported fabrics anywhere we find them which is what we have started today.

We also want to let Nigerians know that anytime they are buying textile materials and other products, they should look out for the NIS quality mark and find out if they are actually made in Nigeria and certified by SON,” he said.

He said that the seized products would be destroyed by the agency because they are all substandard products.

Speaking to Business Courage, a trader in the market Fasat Owodumi, said that the Chinese were destroying the Nigerian economy and for a long time, it seemed as if nobody cared.

She said as a result of the long silence of the government, a lot of people are now involved in importing counterfeit brands.

“It is not only done in Excellence and Da Vida but also in Hi Target which so many people have used to make Ankara business. We need more sensitisation because the investments of people are now being endangered,” she said.

The fake imported brands seized from the markets include: Fatix Ultimate Da Vida and Ultimate by Da Vida. BC

Kwara artisans Joseph Odumodu, SON DG get N100m entrepreneurship grant

T

he Kwara State Government has presented a cheque of N100 million loan to artisans in the state to enable them invest in and develop their acquired vocational skills.

This is coming on the heels of a N1 billion car loan recently

A8 24

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Global News

Jack Dorsey, Twitter founder

Twitter float could raise $1.4bn

T

witter has unveiled the price range for its shares when the company lists on the stock exchange.

In a filing on Thursday, Twitter said it planned to sell 70 million shares priced between $17 and $20 (£10 - £12) to raise up to $1.4bn (£865m).

The offering represents 13 per cent of Twitter and values it at as much as $11bn.

Analysts said the valuation, which was less than forecast, indicated the firm wanted to avoid the dip in prices that followed Facebook’s listing.

“They’re trying to price this for a very strong IPO, ideally creating the conditions for a solid after-market,” said Brian Wieser of the Pivotal Research Group.

Facebook’s shares were priced initially at $38 per share. The stock soared within hours of its debut to a high of $45 but later slumped.

Some analysts had blamed over pricing of the shares as a reason behind the fall. However, Facebook shares have since recouped most of their losses and are now trading above the listing price.

Twitter’s share sale on the New York Stock Exchange will make it the biggest internet company to go public after Facebook.

The microblogging site has seen steady growth since its launch seven years ago.

According to its IPO documents, it now has 218 million monthly users and 500 million tweets are sent a day.

However, all those users and tweets have not yet resulted in a profit. Twitter made a loss of $69m in the first six months of 2013, on revenues of $254m.

Some analysts said that while the lower-than-expected pricing may help its share prices in the days after the listing, in the long run investors would still need to see the firm make profits.

“The fact that the valuation is lower than expectations, I think was smart by the underwriters. I think it will help the pop,” said Michael Yoshikami of Destinational Wealth Management.

“But in the end, even for $11bn, the question is can they come up with earnings to substantiate that number? And it’s unclear that they’re going to be able to do that.”

Almost 85 person of Twitter’s revenue currently comes from advertising on its site.

There are three main ways for a company or an individual to advertise on Twitter: by promoting a tweet that will appear in people’s timelines, promoting a whole account, or promoting a trend.

Twitter tends to charge its advertisers according to the amount of interaction their content generates.

Some analysts say the company has showing strong signs of growth, with revenue rising from just $28m in 2010 to $317m by the end of 2012.

UK growth fastest for three years

U

K economic output rose by 0.8 per cent between July and September, official GDP figures show.

The Office for National Statistics said there had been a “fairly strong” performance across all sectors.

The data builds on a 0.7 per cent GDP rise in the April-June period and is the best quarterly performance since 2010.

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne tweeted: “This shows that Britain’s hard work is paying off & the country is on the path to prosperity.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the figures “show that we are firmly on the road to economic recovery”.

The ONS data for construction was up 2.5 per cent over the quarter, the second successive quarter of growth after a volatile performance over the past year.

House-builders have been buoyed by the Government’s Help to Buy scheme, which recently launched a new phase offering mortgage guarantees.

The ONS said that production grew by 0.5 per cent, though this remains 12.8 per cent off its 2008 level, while within this, manufacturing improved 0.9 per cent in the third quarter.

The services sector, which

Clegg

represents three-quarters of economic output, grew by 0.7 per cent. Output from services is now 0.4 per cent above its pre-crisis peak in the first quarter of 2008.

Friday’s figure is the first estimate, and could be revised up or down in subsequent months.

Osborne told the BBC: “It shows that we are on the path to prosperity. Lots of risks remain, so we have to stick with the economic plan that has got us this far.

“What’s encouraging about these figures is that it’s not just services that are growing.

Construction is growing and manufacturing is growing.”

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: “After three damaging years of flat lining, it’s both welcome and long overdue that our economy is growing again.

“But for millions of people across the country still seeing prices rising faster than their wages, this is no recovery at all.”

Despite the further evidence that recovery is gaining hold, some economists remain cautious.

The Institute of Directors’ chief economist Graeme Leach said: “The outlook looks better than at any time since the onset of the financial crisis. Indeed, our members have more confidence in the economy than at any time since 2008.

Geesung Choi, Samsung CEO

Samsung Electronics profit jumps 26 per cent

S

amsung Electronics has reported a 26 per cent jump in profit in the third quarter driven by strong smartphone sales and a recovery in its memory chip business.

It made a net profit of 8.24 trillion won ($7.6bn; £4.7bn) in the July-to-September quarter, up from 6.56tn won during the same period a year earlier.

Operating profit rose to a record 10.2 trillion won during the quarter.

The firm said sales of smartphones, a key driver of its growth, are expected to rise further in coming months.

It said that sales “will gain momentum due to year-end promotions over the holiday

season and an improved line-up of mass-market smartphones”.

Samsung has posted record operating profit in six of the past seven quarters, mostly due to the growth of its smartphone division.

The firm has enjoyed success in both the top-end as well as lower end of the smartphone market, giving it an edge over rivals such as Apple which makes only top-end phones.

Its growth in the sector has seen it become the world’s biggest smartphone maker.

However, there have been concerns over whether Samsung can continue to grow at such a strong pace, not least because of increased competition and saturation of some key markets.

“Samsung has done well, having rapidly caught up with Apple in the smartphone market. But I’m concerned whether Samsung would be able to do better,” said Kim Sung-soo, a fund manager at LS Asset Management.

“Like Nokia, Samsung may hit a limit in increasing market share. Apple is also fighting back, signalling an uphill battle for Samsung.”

Analysts said that the company needed to come up with more innovative products to help sustain its growth rate.

For its part, Samsung has been taking steps in that direction.

Earlier this month, it launched a smartphone with a curved display screen, beating its rival LG by at least a few months to offer a handset featuring flexible-screen tech.

In September, it unveiled a smartwatch with a colour screen that can show alerts, be used for voice calls and run apps. Again, it edged firms such as Microsoft, Apple and Google to unveil such a device.

Samsung smartwatch being launched Samsung has been launching new products as it looks to sustain a high growth rate Samsung’s latest earnings were also boosted by its semiconductor business, which saw profit more than double to 2.1 trillion won, the highest in three years.

Revenues in the division rose 12 per cent over the previous quarter to 9.74 trillion won.

The firm saw its bottom line buoyed by stronger chip prices after a fire at a plant owned by rival SK Hynix caused tightened supply in the market.

Samsung supplies chips to other smartphone-makers, including its biggest competitor Apple, and expects demand to pick up as the year draws to a close.

However, its consumer electronics division, which includes TV manufacturing, saw a decline in profit due to a drop in demand in China and Europe.

Microsoft profits surge 17%, beating expectations

M

icrosoft reported better than expected earnings of $5.2bn (£3.2bn). Profits at the technology giant were up 17 per cent from the same period last year.

“Our devices and services transformation is progressing,” said boss Steve Ballmer in a statement. He added that Microsoft is launching a “wide range” of new products in the coming quarter.

The report shed no light on who is to replace Ballmer, who announced plans to retire within the next year.

The company has released several new products this quarter, including an update to Windows 8, and recently bought the mobile phone unit of struggling Finnish giant Nokia.

Shares rose six per cent in after hours trading on the strong results.

For the first time, Microsoft also announced sales of its tablet computer, Surface.

Surface Despite positive reviews, sales of the company’s first tablet computer have been disappointing It said revenues from Surface “grew to $400 million with sequential growth in revenue and units sold over the prior quarter”.

Last quarter, the company was forced to take an embarrassing write down of $900m after sluggish sales.

However consumers, many of whom expressed displeasure at Microsoft’s update to its popular operating system Windows, did not bite.

The company still did not provide sales figures of the device.

Investors hoping for any information about who will replace Ballmer in the New Year were disappointed.

Earlier today, on a conference call to discuss earnings, Ford boss Alan Mullaly declined to comment on rumours that he was being considered for the top job.

Other contenders include Stephen Elop, the former head of Nokia, who resigned as boss after Microsoft announced it would purchase the Nokia’s mobile phone unit for 5.4bn euros ($7.2bn; £4.6bn) in September.

Elop is now head of Devices and Services at Nokia, although he is expected to transfer to Microsoft - where he was once a top manager once the deal is completed.

Ballmer has been at the helm of Microsoft since 2000, and has been at the company since 1980. BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

A9 25

Kolawole Aluko is one of Nigeria’s low-key, ultra-wealthy business tycoons, who according to Forbes, is worth well in excess of $50 million. He founded an oil trading firm, Fossil Resources in 2001.

Currently, Kola is a Deputy Chief Executive Officer and a leading shareholder of Seven Energy, a leading independent international oil exploration company

By Adejuwon Osunnuyi

P

erhaps, except for those that operate in the same industry with him, it is most unlikely that not many would be familiar with the name Kola Aluko. Yet, this is one young Nigerian multi-millionaire entrepreneur whom the Forbes Magazine has rated among the top 10 wealthy Nigerians. Kola, a young international businessman, has commercial interests spanning a number of industries globally and includes energy and private aviation. In 2001, he took the bold initiative to establish a personal company-Fossil Resources Limited where he is a Chief Executive Officer.

Being a multifaceted businessman, Kola expanded his business interest beyond Fossil Resources limited, as he continues to seek alliances with other businesses to deepen his investment portfolio both in the local and international business markets.

In 2004, Kola took far reaching initiative to broaden his experience and influence in the energy sector when he moved from Fossil Resources Limited, an indigenous company which plays in the downstream sector of Nigeria’s oil industry to playing a bigger role in the upstream (exploration) sector of the same industry. This, he accomplished by partnering with other investors to create Exoro Energy International, another Nigerian oil and gas business where he again emerged as the Chief Executive Officer.

However, in 2007, Exoro Energy International merged with Seven Energy International, an independent oil and gas development company with interests in three onshore fields in the Niger Delta, and Kola Aluko, being a leading shareholder in the larger organisation, became the deputy CEO of Septa Energy Nigeria Limited, one of the subsidiaries of Seven Energy International, the position which also accorded him a directorship Aluko

Continued on pg A10

Business Courage

status at Seven Energy (UK) Limited, another subsidiary of Seven Energy International.

Strategic partnerships with domestic and multinational oil and gas exploration firms over the past two years have significantly strengthened Seven Energy’s position in the Nigerian market. Having secured long term financial backing, and formed strategic partnerships with the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), the commercial subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation; and Petrofac, a leading global engineering and facilities provider, Aluko is of the view that the group is uniquely positioned in the sector.

Indeed, his experience in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria dates back from his days at Besses Oil & Services, a crude oil trading firm where he was a director before he founded Fossil Resources Limited in 2001.

However, Aluko said his intentions to play in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria was not influenced by the desire to take his share from Nigeria’s most lucrative business sector but a decision that was informed by the desire to contribute his quota to the development of the sector.

“I became involved in oil and gas exploration not just because I wanted to be part of Nigeria’s most successful industry, but because I realised that harnessing our resources is essential to our long-term growth prospects – and that applies not just to Nigeria, but to the region as a whole”, he said.

Seven Energy International, the parent company of Septa Energy Nigeria Limited, where Kola Aluko is a shareholder, is a leading independent Nigerian oil and gas exploration, development and production company whose core purpose is to create shareholder value through the development of Nigeria’s gas potential. The company was founded in 2004 as a division of Weatherford International, the oil service company. Following a management buyout in 2007, it merged with Exoro Energy, an indigenous Nigerian player and with the backing of strategic long-term investors; the group has a unique focus on the emerging Nigerian gas market.

Seven Energy is a private company with headquarters in Lagos and London. In Nigeria, the company operates through its wholly-owned and principal subsidiaries, Septa Energy Nigeria Limited and

Accugas Limited.

Seven Energy International says its business model places a strong emphasis on forging the right partnerships to advance its interests in Nigeria.

“This is evident in our strategic alliances with Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of the national oil company, and with Petrofac, a leading global engineering and facilities solutions provider”, a source within the company revealed.

The company pride itself as a company that combines an experienced board and management team, indigenous ownership and strong financial backing to pursue a rapid growth strategy in the Nigerian energy sector. Its competitive advantage, the company says, lies in its unique gas monetisation capability that provides it with a first mover advantage in the emerging domestic gas market.

Seven Energy is exclusively focused on exploration, development and production in Nigeria. The company has a unique understanding of Nigeria’s domestic gas market dynamics, enabling it to unlock the potential of the country’s significant gas resources for the growing energy and power needs of Nigerian industry and people.

Seven Energy, in the last few years,, has built substantial momentum and local presence by bridging the gap in the market for a domestic gas producer, transporter and supplier to help solve the country’s chronic power shortages.

Seven Energy’s business model is founded on the substantial resource potential of the Niger Delta, a unique understanding of the domestic gas market and a willingness to invest in processing and distribution infrastructure.

To date, Seven Energy has progressed towards achieving its goal through the acquisition of substantial interests in the undeveloped Uquo and Stubb Creek fields, both of which are brought on to production during 2012. “Production from these fields will be processed and transported to market through processing facilities and pipelines that are owned and controlled by Seven Energy. In addition, Seven Energy’s alliance agreement with NPDC has provided access to mature producing oil and gas fields in OMLs 4, 38 and 41 with substantial upside potential”, the company disclosed.

Meanwhile, the main focus of Septa Energy Limited, the Nigerian subsidiary of the

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, October 28, 2013

Aluko

‘

I became involved in oil and gas exploration not just because I wanted to be part of Nigeria’s most successful industry, but because I realised that harnessing our resources is essential to our longterm growth prospects – and that applies not just to Nigeria, but to the region as a whole

gas development and production company of Seven Energy Group, is the supply of gas for the domestic market in Nigeria. To achieve its goal, the company where Kola Aluko functions as Deputy Chief Executive Officer has embarked on strategic investments. For instance, Septa Energy Limited recently invested $420 million in the development of two main gas fields and in the construction of a 60 kilometres long gas pipeline in Nigeria for the delivery of gas to the Ibom Power Plant.

Septa Energy started the

‘

A10 26

installation of this new pipeline In April 2010 and the project includes 60km of pipes, linking Ikot Abasi to the 1,000mw Eket Power Station in Nigeria. “As pipelines represent a considerable financial investment and are significant business assets, it is particularly important to assure the integrity and reliability of the pipeline welds during the pipelines installation. For this reason, Septa sought a reliable and independent thirdparty company in order to ensure the safe function of the pipelines” the company said.

Interestingly, SGS Industrial Services, a company wellknown for its professional and reliable Pipeline Welding Inspection, was awarded the contract to provide independent inspection of 5,500 welds of the newly installed pipeline for Septa Energy.

SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company with extensive experience in inspecting the integrity of pipeline welds. For more than 50 years, SGS has been testing pipelines from all over the world and is familiar with various mill and site inspections on pipeline projects wherever located.

The main aim of SGS’s third party inspection is to verify that the welds conform to all the applicable quality standards. The inspection and testing work by SGS is carried out in accordance with governmental standards and the specific requirements of Septa Energy.

Accugas Limited a wholly owned subsidiary of Seven Energy International was created as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to achieve its mission in the gas business. Accugas however is enjoying a great patronage by Nigerian Banks which appear to be ever ready to help finance its projects.

The company as reported received an eight year project financing facility from Stanbic IBTC Bank and United Bank for Africa worth $60 million to part finance the construction of the gas pipeline, gas central processing facility and associated infrastructure in Akwa Ibom State.

The Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC, Sola David-Borha, said the financing represents the first true project financing in Nigeria for an integrated downstream gas infrastructure network, which includes an extensive gas pipeline distribution network and a gas processing facility. She pointed out that Stanbic IBTC acted as Joint Mandated Lead Arranger with United Bank for Africa Plc on the transaction, adding that Stanbic Bank in its additional capacity as Structuring Bank and Global Co-ordinator on the transaction also undertook the roles of Financial Modelling Bank, Facility Agent and Documentation Bank.

On his part, Deputy Managing Director UBA Plc, Victor Osadolor, said his bank is proud to invest in Accugas Limited, whose project is uniquely aligned with the Federal Government’s vision of developing the country’s infrastructure and substan-

tially monetising the nation’s immense gas reserve. “The cordial relationship with the sponsors of this project and other similar projects places us in a unique position to continue to support its expansion plans”.

The Accugas Gas Pipeline Project involves the construction of a new 65km pipeline with a capacity of 100mmcf/d from Frontier Oil/Septa Energy’s Uquo gas field to Ikot Abassi in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The project also involves the construction of a gas and liquids processing facility and liquids pipeline, which in aggregate will cost in excess of $250 million.

The project, Business Courage was learnt, is the first phase in Accugas and Septa Energy’s development programme to bring the South East Niger Delta’s substantial discovered gas reserves to market to meet the growing energy demand from power plants and industrial users in the region. “This has been strongly supported by independent power companies, Akwa Ibom State and industrial companies that require reliable gas supply for their operations”, our source added.

Kola’s Septa Energy, besides striving to improve gas supply to Nigerians is also playing a major role in making power available to the people. At the moment, Septa Energy in alliance with Frontier Oil Limited and Gulf Energy Limited are working on a 1,000 megawatts power station in Akwa Ibom State to boost power generation in the country. The project is expected to be commissioned by the end of this year.

A strong advocate for development of infrastructure in Africa, Kola believes that the African continent has an abundance of energy resources that must be judiciously used to generate power for social economic development.

He argued that domestic energy demand in sub-Saharan Africa is rising due to growth in manufacturing and mining along with an increasing number of middle class consumers. “For many years, however, growth in population and output has far outstripped growth in generation capacity, with the result that large parts of the region now face an energy crisis. Kenya, Burundi and Uganda have all endured periods of power rationing, and the pain is not confined to East Africa”, he said. “Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, is the world’s largest importer of diesel gen-

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

Aluko

erators – around two million units per year. To maintain production at profitable levels, Nigerian firms are unable to depend solely on state power capacity and are forced to use generators as back-up, usually at around two or three times the cost. The fact that they are continuing to expand despite this burden gives us a glimpse of what might be possible once the power infrastructure gap starts to close”, he added.

But beyond the oil and gas industry, Kola Aluko is also a major investor in the private aviation sector. He recently struck a deal with VistaJet, a Swiss luxury aviation company where he is a partner.

Interestingly, Aluko grew from being a loyal client of Vistajet to becoming a shareholder in the business. According to Thomas Flohr, founder and chairman of VistaJet, “Kola has been a loyal client with VistaJet for many years, and is now helping us drive our expansion throughout West Africa. His expertise and knowledge as an entrepreneur has already helped us establish a major presence in the region”.

VistaJet, the world’s premier luxury aviation company, started the expansion of its global network into West Africa following strong demand for its services two years ago. But the expansion is being aggressively driven by Kola Aluko-its partner in Nigeria. Kola was appointed to the company’s Advisory Board which was formed in 2010.

Vistajet, according to the chairman, is now the world’s fastest growing private aviation company. “Our fleet of Bombardier aircraft are based

‘

Kola’s Septa Energy, besides striving to improve gas supply to Nigerians is also playing a major role in making power available to the people. At the moment, Septa Energy in alliance with Frontier Oil Limited and Gulf Energy Limited are working on a 1,000 megawatts power station in Akwa Ibom State to boost power generation in the country

‘

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and West Africa, ready to take you wherever you choose. Our multilingual staffs are based in offices across the globe, ready to arrange every aspect of your flight” he said.

Flohr who was full of praises for the role which Kola Aluko had hitherto played in the success of VistaJet in the West African coast proudly disclosed that the company is “delighted to be working in close co-operation with Kola Aluko, who has unparalleled knowledge of the region. This will enable us to realize the major potential we see there, particularly among business leaders and entrepreneurs in the energy and government sectors who fly frequently within West Africa and between West Africa and Europe.”

Apparently delighted with his involvement with VistaJet, Kola himself said that he “very

excited to be VistaJet’s partner in West Africa. In a very short time, VistaJet has provided the Nigerian and West African community with an alternative and reliable solution for travelling both within the region and internationally.

I’m looking forward to working with Thomas and his team in the future development and success of VistaJet’s growth in the West African region’.

Besides making gains through business, Kola is a strong proponent of development of infrastructure in Africa and his foundation- Made In Africa Foundation (MIAF), co-founded with Ozwald Boateng, Africa’s foremost designer and David Miliband, former UK’s Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is making a meaningful impact in this direction.

The Made in Africa Foundation was set up to provide finance for feasibility studies

A11 27

for African businesses and projects involved in the development of major infrastructure projects across Africa.

MIAF is also set out to introduce a funding mechanism to assist successful businesses in Africa to transform their existing investments and prospects besides giving Africa Independence through development and infrastructure.

Made in Africa Foundation is a UK Foundation whose mission is to fund masterplans, feasibility studies and other project preparation works for successful infrastructure projects in Africa.

Business Courage learnt that Kola and his partners at MIAF set out primarily to bridge the projects funding gap in Africa. “Far too often a lack of ‘First Mile’ finance is the missing key to allow successful infrastructure projects in Africa to raise construction finance and reach completion.

Despite increasing efforts from governments and DFIs to fill this gap, this type of risk capital remains scarce”, MIAF lamented.

It added that “The Tipping Point” is a seminal white paper setting out the Made in Africa Foundation manifesto and establishing MIAF as the first “activist for African infrastructure” - the first non-governmental group to recognise its significance for growth in Africa.

Therefore, as an independent foundation, MIAF has the ability to work with promoters, governments, multilaterals such as the World Bank and African Development Bank as well as Commercial Banks and private sector investors.

Recently, the African Development Bank (AfDB) disclosed a plan to float Africa’s first infrastructure Bond for member nations to raise up to $22 billion for investments in infrastructure in response to MIAF’s initiative on Growth Corridors, hosted in 2009.

For Kola Aluko, it is not all about working and making money, he still finds time to unwind and one of the ways he relaxes is by engaging himself in car racing. As a passionate car racing enthusiast, Aluko has competed in major European races with the Swiss team Kessel racing.

The young Nigerian oil magnate also lives in luxury.

In June this year, he was reported to have purchased two luxury ultra-modern estates in Beverly Hills for a whooping $40 million. He is believed to have business ties with Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke. BC

A12 28

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

ThebuddingEntrepreneurs

By Biodun Alade

T

he importance of the attainment of qualitative education cannot be overemphasized as it is said to be the best legacy a parent can bestowed on his child or children.

Many will submit that a welltrained child is the pride of the parents while an uninformed child remains a burden and a threat to the investments of his parents.

However, the current reality is such that qualitative education in Nigeria has become a luxury today, especially as most public schools are not in the best of conditions either as a result of overpopulation of classrooms, lack of needed materials and resource persons.

This has made many parents to seek alternative education provided by the various private schools scattered around the country, most of which are cutthroat rates.

Certainly, the desire to make profit occasioned by high tuition fees seems not to be the driving force behind the establishment of BenVic Private Schools, Shasha, a Lagos suburb, the Adelekes said.

Benjamin Adeleke, the schools’ managing director confessed to Business Courage that he established the school along with his wife, Victoria, for the purpose of making qualitative education affordable and accessible for the majority of the citizens.

The name of the school was coined from the first three letters of the couple’s names; Benjamin and Victoria. “There are so many schools established by different people for different purposes. There are people who have money to establish schools; some other people do have the passion while others see the establishment of a school as a calling. There are people doing it for the business but ours is a calling. A call to take care of the younger generation,” he said.

Indeed, Adeleke’s passion to teach is never in doubt, having spent his entire working life till date within the four walls of the school environment.

He started home teaching during his days at the African Church Teacher’s College, Ifako Agege, Lagos while he teamed up with his brother to organise tutorial classes for secondary school students during his NCE programme at Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka where he majored in Computer Mathematics.

He was already a secondary school teacher at Marywood Grammar School, Ilupeju during his days as a student of the University of Lagos.

“Very early in my life, I have had the drive to impact knowl-

Benjamin and Victoria Adeleke

Not many will argue that the desire to make profit is always a strong motivating factor in the establishment of most businesses, if not all. The truth really, is that every investor wants return on his/her investment ,but for Ifedajo Benjamin Adeleke and his wife, Victoria, the drive is much more than returns in financial term. For them, the major driving force is the desire to contribute effectively to the society and make it a better place through qualitative education edge in others. I do teach children from house to house.

During my NCE programme, I along with my brother, Ifebajo Adebayo do organize tutorial for students on how to pass their examinations, especially GCE because he taught me to pass mine. While learning at UNILAG, I was already teaching at Marywood School at Ilupeju.

“After graduation, I have taught in a couple of schools so all my life has been spent it in the school,” he said beaming with a smile.

Adeleke, a graduate of Mathematics Education from the University of Lagos, said that he discovered from his years as a teacher that only few parents can afford to pay the tuition fees of their children conveniently.

“I have many years of experience as a teacher and I noticed that a good number of the populace, especially at the grassroots are suffering and cannot conveniently pay the tuition fees of their children; few hands are blessed while majority are not. So I thought of establishing a school that offers qualitative education which is not very expensive for an average Nigerian or that the middle class can take their children to and be proud of it,” he added.

The Ogun state-born tutor added that as part of the policy of the school, students are given school uniform, exercise books and stationeries at no cost while there are vari-

ous scholarship schemes that they can also benefit from. He believed that the knowledge impacted on the students will be useful for them and the society in the future, noting that it is

his own way of giving back to the society.

“I always think about what I can add to the society rather than complain that the government is not doing this or that. I

Management Principles

How to develop a Risk Management Plan (2)

E

liminate irrelevant issues If you’re moving, for example, a car dealership’s computer system, then threats such as nuclear war, plague pandemic or killer asteroids are pretty much things that will disrupt the project. There’s nothing you can do to plan for them or to lessen the impact. You might keep them in mind, but don’t put that kind of thing on your risk plan.

List all identified risk elements: You don’t need to put them in any order just yet. Just list them one-by-one.

Assign probability: For each risk element on your list, determine if the likelihood of it actually materializing is High, Medium or Low. If you absolutely have to use numbers, then figure Probability on a scale from 0.00 to 1.00. 0.01 to 0.33 = Low, 0.34 to 0.66 = Medium, 0.67 to 1.00 = High.

Note: If the probability of an event occurring is zero, then it will be removed from consideration. There’s no reason to consider things that simply cannot happen.

Assign impact: In general, assign Impact as High, Medium or Low based on some pre-established guidelines. If you absolutely have to use numbers, then figure Impact on a scale from 0.00 to 1.00 as follows: 0.01 to 0.33 = Low, 0.34 – 066 = Medium, 0.67 – 1.00 = High.

Note: If the impact of an event is zero, it should not be listed. There’s no reason to consider things that are irrelevant, regardless of the probability.

Determine risk for the element: Often, a table is used for this. If you have used the Low, Medium and High values for Probability and Impact, the top table is most useful. If you have used

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

A13 29

ThebuddingEntrepreneurs

BenVic Private Schools

do tell friends that rather than complain, make contribution to the society. For instance, if you notice a pot hole in front of your house that you are capable of filling, please do it. If you have sufficient water in your house, give to others in your neighbourhood and the society will be a better place for all of us to live in.

“So I see the knowledge I am impacting as my contribution to the society, it is obvious that I cannot collect it back from the students but one day, they will remember who passed that knowledge to them and be grateful,” he noted.

Adeleke admitted that setting up the school was not a particularly rosy one, especially as it has to do with funding when the school took off in 2007.

However, determined to make a success out of their desire, the Adelekes had to pull their resources together, sold their respective cars

to finance the first one year rent, acquire the needed furniture and also gave out free uniform to the one hundred and fifty students that were admitted to the school before the end of the term.

“I was lucky that when I left the last school I worked with, my employer gave me two months’ salary advance and with that of my wife who also quit her job at the same time, we were able to make the first deposit for the rented apartment while we have to sell our cars in order to ensure the smooth running of the school,” he said.

But then, he admitted that he got tremendous support from the teachers he employed as at that time as they agreed to work without pay for the first two week of the establishment. “We could not pay their salary for the first month of April, though we started on the 16th. It was until May that we started paying salary but

numeric values, you will need to consider a bit more complex rating system similar to the second table here. It is important to note that there is no universal formula for combining Probability and Impact; that will vary between people and projects.

Rank the risks: List all the elements you have identified from the highest risk to the lowest risk.

Develop mitigation strategies: Mitigation is designed to reduce the probability that a risk will materialize. Normally you will only do this for High and Medium elements. You might want to mitigate low risk items, but certainly address the other ones first. For example, if one of your risk elements is that there could be a delay in delivery of critical parts, you might mitigate the risk by ordering early in the project.

Develop contingency plans: Contingency is designed to reduce the impact if a risk does materialize. Again, you will usually only develop contingencies for High and Medium elements. For example, if the critical parts you need do not arrive on time, you might have to use old, existing parts while you’re waiting for the new ones.

Analyse the effectiveness of strategies: How much have you reduced the Probability and Impact? Evaluate your Contingency and Mitigation strategies and reassign Effective Ratings to your risks.

Monitor your risks: Now that you know what your risks are, you need to determine how you’ll know if they materialize so you’ll know when and if you should put your contingencies in place. This is done by identifying Risk Cues. Do this for each one of your High and Medium risk elements. Then, as your project progresses, you will be able to determine if a risk element has become an issue. If you don’t know these cues, it is very possible a risk could silently materialize and affect the project, even if you have good contingencies in place. BC

I was amazed that majority of them agreed to work without pay and before the end of that term, which was the third term of the academic year we had one hundred and fifty students,” he recalled.

Steadily, he grew the school until 2010 when the property owner decided to evict the school from the rented apartment. It was a huge storm as the school had grown and the fear of losing the students were imminent but luckily; a permanent property was acquired nearby through the support of banks and other financial institutions.

For now, the school seems to have outgrown its challenges and Adeleke attributes it to the divine hand of God and dedication of staff, serene environment, and qualitative instruction materials among others.

BenVic Private Schools is made up of a nursery and primary school; a college and a computer school.

“The success formula is God and if not for Him, the school will not exist. We also parade qualified teachers who are all graduates, so we are able to teach all government approved subjects. Our permanent site at Atotileto, Bammeke is a serene environment, conducive for learning with a proper security network for the students and staff.

“Our performances in external examinations such as basics 9 examinations, SSCE, UTME are outstanding because our teachers teach according to syllabus with close monitoring and supervision to ensure that individual student understand what is taught,” he said.

He also stressed that the school engage the students in extra curricula activities, including sports and also allow them to participate in the running of the school such as the appointment of prefects which is done through voting by the students.

He hoped to see the school with more facilities in the nearest future in order for it to cater for more students and helps parents fulfill their dreams of sending their children to a qualitative private school.

Commenting on the failing education standard in the society, he called on well-meaning Nigerians to help in building the noticeable cracks, stressing that blaming the government will not solve the problem but the collective efforts of the citizens and the government will address the challenges.

He also admonished would-be entrepreneurs to discover what they can offer the society to kick start their careers.

“There is the need for the individuals to change their orientations so that God can change the situation. He must make up his mind and purpose in his heart what he can offer the society with his skill, intellect, strength and knowledge rather than complain. It is what you can offer the society that people will rally round and support. If you are able to fill the vacuum created, people will patronize you. It is important to leave a path that others will wish to follow,” he concluded. BC

Personal Finance Converting customers into brand advocates

I

n the field of Internet marketing, it is an understatement to say that loyalty is very important, yet very hard to win. Imagine your target customers in front of their computers with twenty tabs open, looking for an item, product, or service which is similar to yours. With just a click of a mouse or a push of a button, he/she can easily choose who to transact business with and it is highly likely that he/she may not choose you.

Right off the bat, gaining your clients’ trust and confidence is a must. By winning these, client retention will develop. As an online business practitioner, you don’t want your customers to buy your products just once. You want them, nay, you need them to come back and continue patronising what you have to offer. But oftentimes, a satisfied customer does not always translate to a loyal customer. So how do you turn one into the other?.

Quality products and excellent service: The golden rule still applies here. Treat your customers the way you want yourself to be treated. If you treat one shabbily, or you provide a customer with inferior products, however unintentionally, you can kiss that customer goodbye. Then, with you having no control over it at all, the power of the Internet comes into play. It will only take a forum post to start a discussion about how your product doesn’t meet the expectations of one unsatisfied customer. Watch as potential buyers shy away from your website.

Whether you like it or not, the name of your business is in your every product. Therefore, the qualities of these are inevitably tied to your name.

Even if you get every marketing strategy right, but your products fail to meet the minimum required for a decent one, all this talk about customer loyalty is moot.

Keep your word: In Scarface, Tony Montana famously quipped, “All I have in this world is my balls and my word, and I don’t break them for no one.” A little too extreme but it gets the point across: somebody of high integrity is to be trusted.

Being a man of your word is a virtue valued highly in this business.

Deliver on the date that you said you will deliver. Your products must measure up to what you advertise them to be. Always be honest with your customers: when something comes up that will prevent you from keeping your word, tell the client upfront instead of making them play the guessing game.

Be there when your customers need you: Be ready to answer complaints if they have any. Accept responsibility when you are clearly at fault.

There is nothing more frustrating to a customer than a seller who is quick to point fingers. Be sure to handle things in a professional manner while maintaining a friendly relationship with them.

Put yourself in your customers’ place: Think how your customers think. Know what they want, what they are looking for. Some research on your part with regards to the demographics, the likes and dislikes, etc., of your target clients can help you in this. And in this wired world, it is not that hard because you can find almost everything online.

Don’t forget to thank them: Let them know you appreciate the fact that they chose you over your competitors. A personal thank you will make the customer feel special.

Just like in a brick-and-mortar business, online customers want to be treated fairly well. The spatial divide doesn’t diminish the fact that your clients are still human and tend to remember the way you deal with them. Keeping this in mind BC might just spell success for your business. BC

A14 30

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

BBM for android and iOS achieve over 10 million download within a day of its launch as more people are still lining up to join the frenzy

By Adejuwon Osunnuyi

A

t long last, users of android phones as well as iphones can now have a long sigh of relief. After the long wait for them in joining their Blackberry contemporaries in the use of the famous Blackberry Messenger popularly known as BBM, BlackBerry finally rolled out its BBM messenger for iOS and Android last week, using a unique reservation system presumably designed to prevent its servers crashing out again.

According to the company, the show of enthusiasm by users of the BBM app, after problems with a rogue version of the Android app forced it to suspend the rollout for almost a month, was overwhelming with not less than 10 million downloads recorded on the first day.

Despite this initial hiccup, however, BlackBerry claims that the experiencewas one of the best single-day openings for a mobile app ever.

BBM, the premier private social network from BlackBerry, is available for free in the App Store and Google Play for immediate download.

In September, BlackBerry put on hold the global rollout of its instant messaging service BBM on rival phones, blaming the delay on issues caused by an unreleased old version of BBM (BlackBerry Messenger).

BBM quickly rose through the rankings on the App Store to become the number one free app in more than 75 countries in the first 24 hours, including the US, Canada, the UK, Indonesia and most of the Middle East, according to BlackBerry.

User ratings in both the App Store and Google Play are also overwhelmingly positive, earning BBM 60,000 five-star reviews on Google Play from about 87,000 reviews.

“This has been an incred-

Thorsten Heins, Research in Motion CEO

ible launch for BBM across Android and iPhone devices.

The mobile messaging market is full of opportunity for BBM. We intend to be the leading private social network for everyone who needs the immediate communication and collaboration of instant messaging combined with the privacy, control and reliability delivered through BBM,” said Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President, BBM at BlackBerry.

Previously exclusive to BlackBerry smartphones, BBM is now available as a free download in Google Play and the App Store. Android smartphones must be running Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean (Android 4.x) and iPhones must be running iOS 6 and iOS 7. Customers can download BBM by visiting www.BBM.com from their smartphone browser.

“When we saw almost one million people install an unreleased version of the Android version, another million use workarounds to download BBM onto their iPhones and another six million people preregister to know when BBM became available for iPhone and Android, we knew we were on to something huge,” he noted.

BlackBerry said it will add more new features to BBM to promote it as the private social network.

“While we’re excited to bring BBM to iPhone and Android - we aren’t stopping there. Work isn’t slowing down at all. We committed to delivering a BBM experience on iPhone and Android that was equal to that on BlackBerry 10. That means bringing BBM Video, BBM Voice and BBM Channels...

“My team is still committed to bringing those features to BBM on Android and iPhone in the near future. And we are not stopping there - we have some great new features planned that will build on BBM as the private social network you count on for immediate conversations you can control and trust,” Bocking said.

Android and iPhone users who download the BBM app will be able to carry out both one-on-one and group text chats, and share files such as photos and voice notes instantly. They will also be able to send a message to all of their BBM contacts in one go using the ‘Broadcast Message’ function.

However, probably in order to prevent the initial hitch, getting the BBM on your android and iOS might not be immediate. You still have to get sign on and this could be a matter of days or weeks.

It’s not clear how many others are waiting for access but the initial figure — racked

Bocking

up eight hours after launch — is pretty impressive. BlackBerry said earlier that six million people had signed up to get updates about the app in ahead of its launch, while an apparent one million Android owners were “using the unreleased version of BBM for Android” following the partial launch in September.

The BBM, just like the one on the traditional platform, Blackberry remain the same having almost all its exciting features. For instance, BBM Chat makes users to enjoy real, immediate conversations with friends on An-

droid, iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones. Not only does BBM let people know their message has been delivered and read, it also shows them when a contact is responding to a message.

Being an App described as doing more than chat, with BBM, customers can simply and instantly share files such as photos and voice notes.

Multi-person chats are a great way to invite contacts to chat together. Just like other social media, BBM also has a unique Group feature which lets users invite up to 30 friends to chat together, as well as share

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

Technotalk

A15 31

with Esther Ozue (ozueesther@nationalmirroronline.net) 08059234648 (sms only)

Top must have Android Apps

A

Checking blackberry messenger apps

photo albums, calendars and files.

Posting updates and making friends to stay in the know, BBM lets people post a personal message, profile picture and a current status, and lets contacts see statuses instantly in Updates. Every BBM user has a unique PIN that maintains privacy, so users are not required to ever give out their phone number or email address to a new or casual contact.

However, Android and iPhone users still have to wait to be able to access to BBM Voice and Video calling, as well as a new community building tool – BBM Channels – “in the near future.”

BBM has more than 60 million monthly active customers, with more than 51 million people using BBM an average of 90 minutes per day. BBM customers collectively send and receive more than 10 billion messages each day, nearly twice as many messages per user per day as compared to other mobile messaging apps.

BlackBerry says almost half of BBM messages are read within 20 seconds of being received, “indicating how truly engaged BBM customers are.”

With BlackBerry for sale, as a whole or in parts, it is possible that BBM and its secure network may end up being the company’s crown jewels. There would be little problem in selling the hardware business and hanging on the software and IP – that is exactly what Nokia has done with Microsoft.

According to industry analysts, the success of BBM on other platforms may be just what BlackBerry is looking for as it might end up being a networking and software company. BlackBerry has been

struggling to keep pace in the smartphone market.

But there are those who believe there is nothing so special with the extension of the BBM to android and iOS phones given the plethora of messaging apps in the market today BBM is only going to be of real interest to a few types of people: those who have friends using BlackBerry smartphones, those who recently ditched their BlackBerry or those looking to relive some nostalgia/curiosity.

While many people are saying it’s coming too late, to others, there’s nothing groundbreaking in BBM. While Kik, Tango and Asian messaging apps like Line, Kakao Talk and WeChat are moving into gaming and content platforms, but BlackBerry remains firmly rooted in connecting people.

While it is richer in features than WhatsApp, that’s true for most apps since WhatsApp’s appeal remains simplicity: allowing mums and even grandparents to use it.

On that front BBM is likely to prove more confusing to less tech-savvy users given the array of options and menu bars.

The company’s smartphones are some way behind Android, iOS and Windows Phone devices for most consumers in the West and Asia, but messaging apps are in vogue and BBM has a decent pool of users who send and receive 10 billion messages per day.

If it can gain some momentum as a cross-platform app — or even just hold its current numbers — then BBM could become an attractive part of a deal to buy BlackBerry, or perhaps a separate asset for sale. WhatsApp was said to have caught Google and Face-

book’s interest with potential billion dollar deals — while it would fetch a lot less, BBM could have its suitors.

Meanwhile while ensuring that its servers can handle the influx of new users, BlackBerry has created a wait list for those interested in signing up for a BBM account and individuals who registered on BlackBerry’s Web site earlier this month won’t be required to wait in line and can begin using the app immediately, intending users can still avoid the waiting game. According to CNET, user can avoid the wait list and sign up for BlackBerry’s popular messaging service immediately.

How to avoid waiting for BBM on Android and iOS. Simply enter the same e-mail address you registered with, click Next, and select “I got the email.” If you didn’t preregister, you can enter your email address and wait for an invite from BlackBerry.

There is another way, however. The company’s wait list can actually be bypassed after downloading the app on either your Android or iOS device.

Open the app, enter your email address, click Next, and then force-close it.

This can be done on iOS by double-clicking the home button and swiping the app away.

On Android, enter the multitasking menu and swipe the app away, or go to Settings, Apps, BBM, and click Force Close. After relaunching the app you should have the power to create an account, which will assign you a unique PIN, and to begin inviting friends.

It should be noted that while this method worked for some CNET writers, BlackBerry could fix the workaround at any time. BC

ndroid, being a Linux-based operating system was designed primarily for touch screen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. Android is unique because google is actively developing the platform but giving it away for free to hardware manufacturers and phone carriers who want to use Android on their devices.

Android is open source or free to use and thus have so many apps that can work with it. However, here are top android apps you must have on your device.

Astro file manager – It allows you navigate files on your storage device card and accessible internal memory and has its own built-in task killer, backs up applications and can send files as email attachments.

Is this task Killer? – It provides a direct, easy “Quit” option, and serves the need of anyone that want to reset their phone to clear up space.

PassWallet- This app is a password manager app that safely and securely stores your most sensitive data conveniently in your mobile phone or tablet. It’s the most secured and convenient password manager ever developed for the Android smart phones and tablets because it keeps sensitive data safe by hiding it in a secret hidden vault. In addition to password management, it can be hidden so that no one will know you have installed the app.

Trigger- Trigger pairs with a companion program on your desktop to let you know when you’ve got an incoming call.

Trigger adjusts your computer’s volume when you make or receive a phone call and see’s phone call updates as desktop notifications on your PC in real-time.

Clinch - Automatic Video Editor- With this app, video editing and mobile works hand in hand. This super-simple editor lets you stitch videos and photos together in an easy interface and then upload them to your favorite social network as it turn’s best moments into amazing movies.

Music2SD – Xposed- In google music, downloaded songs and albums are stored in the internal storage while this app uses the root-only Xposed framework to move google music downloads to an external secure digital (SD) memory card.

Fraction Calculator PRO/EDU- Fractions are tricky things to integrate into a standard calculator, the fraction calculator also works with expressions, equations, and some mathematical functions as it shows step-by-step operations and shows results as you type like graphical display of expressions with history.

Power amp – It plays every audio codec and comes with heavily customisable settings, tags editor, configurable lock screen with optional direct unlock, headset support and automatic resume on headset.

Adobe flash player – It helps you access same flash content as you would on a PC, view web pages, watch videos and play games.

Swift Key X – This is an alternative keyboard for the Android platform. The first thing swift key will do when you install it is analyse your writing style by looking through all the SMS you have stored on your handset. Based on that, and what you type in the future, it will attempt to predict what words you are going to input next with the eventual result being that you need to bother spelling out only two out of every three yourself.

Kindle – With this app, you can automatically sync your last read page, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across devices. Kindle app puts over a million books at your fingertips. It’s the app for every reader Tether – It uses your android smartphone as a Wifi hotspot to bridge your laptops, tablets and other gadgets to the internet using your mobile data.

Finally, Android manages the apps stored in memory automatically when memory is low, the system will begin killing apps and processes that have been inactive for a while and the open nature of Android means that you are not tied to a single app- or media store. BC

A16 32

Business Courage

Obi

Cinfores deploys BrainFriend e-learning solution in Anambra Stories by Kunle Azeez

F

ollowing its successful implementation in Lagos under the platform of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, (NUT) in the first quarter of the year, a foremost e-learning solution provider, Cinfores Limited, has been consulted by the government of Anambra State to deploy its BrainFriend e-learning solution for the state.

The company said the engagement became necessary to enable the Anambra State government adopt Information Communication Technology in the development of the education sector through the deployment of e-learning solutions and other ICTs to help her overcome some of the challenges flagging the sector.

Already, 22,000 licences of the nation’s best-selling and foremost e-learning and examination preparatory software, BrainFriend have been deployed for distribution to 253 public secondary schools in the state.

The Brainfriend software comes ready with over 50,000 questions, answers, and explanations covering over 42 teaching subjects of the primary through the senior secondary school, career guide covering major disciplines offered in Nigerian and some other West African universities, the Nigerian national curriculum, and over 50 e-books on the elementary and secondary schools teaching subjects and lots more.

The software also has a mobile version for smart phones, which can be downloaded from the Google play store, making it easily accessible to every end user who does not readily own a laptop/ desktop computer.

While reviewing the solution, the State Governor, Peter Obi , expressed delight with the solution developed locally by young Nigerians who evidently have their hearts bent on improving the plights of Nigerian school

children.

“I am impressed with this product, especially with the fact that it was indigenously developed with local content that suits the nation’s education system. These are the kinds of people and products we want to spend time with in partnership especially on education and ICT matters, because education is the only capital used today to invest into the great future,” he said.

He added that the state’s engagement of Cinfores Limited on the deployment of the BrainFriend educational software will be a great form of encouragement to up-coming software developers, saying that the adoption of the software was another giant stride towards ensuring quality education in the country and Anambra State in particular.

Speaking on the benefits of the solution, the Director Finance and Administration and Co-Founder, Cinfores Limited, Ikechi Nwogu, said that deployment of the solution by the Anambra State government was a wakeup call to every well meaning administration in the country.

“The whole essence of governance is about making an improvement to the lives of the citizenry; and a clear cut investment in education is the sure path to growth and development for any nation that wants to be great”, he stated.

“This is another milestone achievement for Cinfores Limited and the Nigerian education sector and only indicates that our vision as a company to enhance education in Nigeria is not a futile venture.

With concerted efforts from all stakeholders in this direction, we believe the decadence in the sector will one day be a thing of the past,” he said.

Meanwhile, Head, Business Development, Cinfores Limited, Jachi Briggs said the solution has been deployed in states such as Lagos, Abia and Rivers.

“The Cinfores BrainFriend is Nigeria’s foremost e-learning software having been endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigerian Education and Research Development Council (NERDC) as well as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA),” she added.

HP integrates efficient wireless technology gy in new printer

A

global Information mation Technology giant, Hewlett Packard d has introduced the HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 2545 All-in-One e Printer specially designed for

Monday, October 28, 2013

savings-conscious users, both at home or the office environment.

The company said Deskjet 2545 is easy to set up and delivers quality results, using original HP ink cartridges at a low cost of N1650.

Beyond printing, HP said the new Deskjet 2545 has different functions as it can also scan and copy documents, while satisfying the increasing need for affordable printers that are user-friendly.

In its scanning function, the printer lives up to expectations, providing clear and attractive color photographs, but drags and prints at a much slower pace. The photographs come out quite clear, thereby making it the right choice for family and friends to print memorable images.

According to a statement from the company on the new printer, “The copy function is quite easy as the regular printer, just place paper; press copy on the printer and it comes out either colored or in black and white according to your choice of selection.

“With its innovative Apple Airprint function, users can enjoy easy wireless printing from any room with their Ipad, Iphone or Ipod touch mobile devices, by simply switching on their WI-FI and entering the HP wireless direct printing password for easy connection.

Nevertheless, the mobile devices must be wireless-enabled, have a printing option and also be connected to the internet at the time of usage because the HP wireless connection on the printer does not provide internet access for mobile devices.”

HP further stated that, though the HP auto wireless connects works with Apple devices, it was not available for all system configurations such as blackberry smart phones and Samsung smart phones devices when tested.

The company, however, stated that the printer compatible with a variety of computer operating systems ranging from Windows 7 and 8, windows Vista, Windows XP SP3 and Mac systems.

“When it comes to printing and saving time, the HP DeskJet 2545 is the perfect gadget. Its unique fast-speed in printing takes 16 seconds in bringing out pages in black and white, and about 24 seconds in producing colored pages. However, like other Deskjet printers, the printer is quite noisy while printing out documents. classi“With its cl elegant white cal and elegan appearance, a weight of 3.60k 3.60kg and a dim dimension of 425.23 x 552.19 x 25 252.19mm (W (WxDxH), the Deskjet 254 2545 is a

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

mak compact printer designed make tasks easier to fit your home and office and faster to accom environment saving desk complish.

The featu frees users of space. ture th need to toggle “The printer also conthe be serves less power as it is between screens, m an ENERGYSTAR® qualimemorize comm fied printer certifying that mands or look up di it is energy efficient. With different menus. a power pack boasting of In addition t its innovative 100-240 volts, the printer to t can function even with low technological electric currents,” he said. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 advancements, HP management described the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 the HP Deskjet Ink Advantage also delivers a new premium 2545 All-in-One Printer is a look and feel, expanding on printer that comes handy, the modern Samsung Galaxy providing the efficiency and design approach with a new, enhanced productivity that soft and textured-touch back gives home users and busicover and delicate stitching. ness professionals on the go It also features a serration the freedom to move without pattern on the side of the having to worry about printdevice that evokes a connecing quality documents through tion to classic notebooks and wire connections, while achievplanners. ing agreeable results in an All To complement the Galaxy - in- One package Note 3’s unparalleled features, Samsung also unveiled the Galaxy Gear, a voice-controlled, wrist-mounted device that connects to premium Samsung smartphones. The Galaxy Gear can make phone calls; take pictures as well as record videos and conversaamsung Electronics untions. veiled the latest addition to With 70 android apps its Galaxy Note family, the Galavailable for download, the axy Note 3, in Nigeria creating device has a solid touchscreen excitement among Nigerians and can sync with smarthigh technology device lovers phones to display text mesThe highly-anticipated sages and e-mails and also product was unveiled alongside access the internet. It features an innovative complement, a 1.9 megapixel camera and the Galaxy Gear, a wrist-worn built-in speakers that allow device that connects to the users to make hands-free Note 3 for what the company calls. In addition, the device describes as ‘an even more out- boasts a battery life of 25 standing mobile experience.’ hours on just a single charge.

The devices, which have According to the Managbeen available for purchase at ing Director of Samsung Samsung stores and accredited Electronics West Africa, Mr. dealers in Nigeria since October Brovo Kim, the Galaxy Note 3 1, 2013, were formally unveiled is positioned to meet the deto the public at an elaborate mands of consumers desirous ceremony at Intercontinental of larger screens and more Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos user-friendly display. on Thursday.

“In 2011, we introduced The Samsung Galaxy Note the original Galaxy Note and 3 is Samsung’s thinnest and launched a whole new smart lightest device in the Note catdevice category. The undeniegory yet. It features a screen able success of the Galaxy larger than that of its predeces- Note category strengthened sor, the Galaxy Note II while our conviction that conmaintaining the same width sumers want higher quality as the previous Galaxy Note features on their devices and version. they want those new features The device is equipped with to positively impact their a 13 megapixel camera that quality of life. features Samsung’s propri“The Samsung Galaxy etary Smart Stabilization which Note 3 is a powerful, original enables high performance approach that enables its usphotography even in low light ers to tell the stories of their conditions with motion. It also lives through dynamic and features the industry’s largest seamless expressions of their 3GB RAM for a faster and more passions across work, play powerful performance. and life experiences,” he said.

The device’s S Pen features Director of Hand Held new innovations that reinvents Products for Samsung Elecand modernizes consumers’ tronics West Africa, Emmanote-taking experience by pronouil Revmatas described viding them with the ability to the Galaxy Note 3 as a complete more tasks with just testament to Samsung’s inone click. novation leadership in the A simple click of the S Pen smartphones market and its button while hovering over the commitment to developing device’s screen introduces usthe best products to meet the ers to Air Command, a palette ever-changing needs of its of five powerful features that consumers. BC

Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Gear debut in Nigeria

S

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

A17 33

Foreign investments in stock exchange hits N747bn

T

he total amount invested by foreign investors in the Nigerian securities between January and August 2013 stood at N747bn.

This amount comprises the inflows and outflows of Foreign Portfolio Investments for the period under review.

Figures obtained from the NSE showed that between January and March 2013, the foreign transactions totalled N217.57tn, representing 42.7 per cent of the N510.1bn worth of transactions recorded in the first three months of the year.

For April to June, a total of N365.07bn worth of foreign transactions was recorded, while for the month of July, the total amount of FPIs in the NSE was N93.71bn.

The amount for July and August stood at N164.59bn, which is higher than the N150.24bn recorded at the end of June, according to the latest figures provided by NSE on its website.

This is, however, a marked improvement over the FPI inflows and outflows recorded at the end of the first quarter, this year.

The report also put the total inflows of FPI within the period under consideration at N31.12bn, representing a marginal decline compared N31.81bn in inflows recorded at the end of the previous month.

The total outflow in the month under consideration was N39.76bn, compared to N61.90bn recorded in July 2013.

foreign investors who were usually on the lookout for strong emerging markets to invest.

Onyema also explained that the NSE was glad to note that there had been increased participation by the local investors who had begun to return to the market after their huge exit following the global meltdown and the and the banking crisis in 2009.

He said, “Last year, the NSE recorded

Onyema

The FPI represents the passive holdings of securities and other financial assets, which may not entail active management or control of the securities’ issuer. It is usually positively influenced by high rates of return and reduction of risk through geographic diversification.

The return on FPI is normally in the form of interest payments or non-voting dividends.

The Chief Executive Officer of the NSE, Oscar Onyema, said foreign investors had continually been showing interest in the Nigerian market, owing to the various reforms carried out in the Exchange in the last few years.

He added that the reforms had impacted positively on the market, which he noted was an attractive factor to the

a local participation of 44 per cent, while foreign participation accounted for 56 per cent of activities in the same year.

The rally we saw in the market in 2012 was on the back of foreign investments.

“It is also good that our local investors have started to return to the market and we are very hopeful that we will see more of this as the year runs out, we at the Exchange are bullish that the market would pick up further this year.” BC

Mobile security service market to hit $230m

A

BI Research has estimated the current Mobile Encryption Software and Services market will hit $230m by the end of 2013, www.cellular-news.com reported at the weekend.

The market will offer significant opportunities for security vendors and MDM service providers according to the report. OEMs are still waiting for the direction of the market demand to come into focus before investing the space.

The biggest laggards are mobile network operators, despite the fact that they have substantial advantages that they are far from leveraging.”

Mobile authentication and encryption services for enterprises are growing dynamically with the saturation of

cloud-based applications and BYOD trends, the report said.

Organisations are looking to maximise the benefits of these technologies while maintaining a level of security that satisfies compliance and the protection of corporate resources. These need to be further balanced against flexibility and manageability; without these guarantees, even the most secure solutions are useless.

For mobile encryption technology, this means effective key management.

For authentication, it may be SSO or tokenless access. The field of application for mobile authentication and encryption services is wide, and the demands are varied. BC

INDEX MOVEMENT The NSE All-Share Index gained by 0.32 per cent to close on Friday at 37,461.94. Similarly, the market capitalization appreciated by 0.61 per cent to close at N11.969 trillion.

The NSE Oil/Gas, NSE Lotus II and NSE Industrial Goods appreciated by 8.24, 0.73 and 1.25 percentages respectively. While NSE 30, NSE Consumer Goods, NSE Banking and NSE Insurance Indices depreciated by 0.19, 0.67, 0.98 and 0.90 percentages respectively. However the NSE-ASeM closed flat.

equities of the preceding week, while 118 equities remained unchanged lower than 125 equities of the preceding week.

The Stock Market last week

A

turnover of 1.521 billion shares worth N18.011 billion in 26,028 deals were traded last week by investors on the floor of The Exchange in contrast to a total of 895.210 million shares valued at N11.659 billion that exchanged hands the previous week in 14,989 deals.

The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 1.062 billion shares valued at N11.053 billion traded in 13,693 deals; thus contributing 69.83 and 61.37 percentages to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

The Conglomerates Industry followed with a turnover of 253.418 million shares worth N656.405 million in 1,399 deals, while the Oil and Gas Industry came third with 74.297 million shares TOP 10 PRICE GAINERS: Company CONOIL PLC CAP PLC UACN PROPERTY DEVL CO. FORTE OIL ACADEMY PRESS TRANSNATIONAL LEARNAFRICA IKEJA HOTEL RT BRISCOE PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC

Open 34.99 38.85 16.69 64.30 2.07 1.64 1.65 0.70 1.32 7.95

Close 49.15 48.99 18.96 72.98 2.31 1.83 1.77 0.75 1.40 8.40

worth N956.055 million in 3,218 deals.

Trading in the top three equities namely Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, and United Bank for Africa Plc (measured by volume) accounted for 561,164 million shares worth N6.210 billion in 4,291 deals, contributed 36.90 and 34.48 percentages to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

Also traded during the week were a total of 105 units of NewGold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) valued at N214,200 executed in 1 deal compared with a total of 365 units valued at N738,965 transacted last week in four deals.

There were no transactions in debt instruments during the week. Last week 210 units of FGN bonds valued at N249, 371.96 were traded in three deals.

Gain (N) 14.16 10.14 2.27 8.68 0.24 0.19 0.12 0.05 0.08 0.45

% Change 40.47 26.10 13.60 13.50 11.59 11.59 7.27 7.14 6.06 5.66

SUMMARY OF PRICE CHANGES Thirty equities appreciated in prices during the week lower than 43 equities of the preceding week. Forty nine equities depreciated in prices higher than 29

TOP 10 PRICE LOSERS: Company Open INTL ENERGY INSURANCE CO PLC 0.86 VONO PRODUCTS PLC. 1.93 WEMA BANK PLC. 1.28 NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC 0.85 COURTEVILLE BUS SOLUTIONS PLC 0.66 IPWA PLC 0.89 ASHAKA CEM PLC 23.00 MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC 2.17 RED STAR EXPRESS PLC 4.68 PAINTS & COATINGS MANU PLC 2.20

Close 0.69 1.59 1.14 0.77 0.60 0.81 21.17 2.03 4.40 2.09

Loss (N) % Change 0.17 --19.77 -0.34 -17.62 -0.14 -10.94 -0.08 -9.41 -0.06 -9.09 -0.08 -8.99 -1.83 -7.96 -0.14 -6.45 -0.28 -5.98 -0.11 -5.00

SUPPLEMENTARY LISTING A total of 26,667,123,333 ordinary shares of 50k each of Wema Bank Plc which arose as a result of placing made by the issuer were added to the outstanding shares of the company on October 21, 2013. BC

A18 34

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Behind d Wheels This page is open to sponsorship

C

learly, this XFR-S isn’t your average Jaguar sedan. Sure, the XFR-S can play the part of a nice car if you want, puttering slowly around town without a problem. But provoke it and this more aggressive version of the already capable XFR can unleash its rage at any time. At a time when some of its rivals have become heavier, softer and less precise, the 2014 XFRS has turned into the meanest Jaguar sedan ever built.

Not that those proper Brits would admit they’ve created something mean. But we were told in no uncertain terms that the goal with the 2014 Jaguar XFR-S was “to create the fastest, most powerful and agile Jaguar sport sedan ever.”

And they have succeeded, thanks in no small part to an upgraded version of Jaguar’s familiar 5.0-litre supercharged and direct-injected V8. A little ECU tuning and improved airflow result in an extra 40 horsepower and 41 pound-feet of torque over the XFR, bringing total output up to 550 hp at 6,500 rpm and 502 lb-ft at 2,500.

This is a true, pull-a-musclein-your-neck kind of car. Jag says it’ll hit 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. That’s 0.3 second quicker than the XFR and a half-second better than the XF Supercharged. In comparison, when we tested a six-speed manual M5 it hit 60 in 4.5 seconds, or 4.3 with a 1-foot rollout. If you have enough road and guts to verify it, Jaguar says the XFRS tops out at a scenery-blurring 186 mph.

Speed dynamo That’s not to say the XFR-S isn’t playful and can’t be coaxed to shed its cloak and shred its rubber, but the car is so competent and well balanced that it needs some serious provocation to overcome the grip of its Pirelli P Zero tyres.

In fact, its dynamics are more of a highlight than the engine. The steering is well weighted and communicates precisely where the front end is pointing. It turns into corners with a level of sharpness like no other Jaguar before, hangs on with immense mid-corner grip and has great traction under hard acceleration. It struggles to overcome its weight in really tight and twisty stuff, but it is deceptively quick through fastt flowing sections of blacktop.

Jaguar is proud to point outt that one of the key attributes in n

extracting the extra power out of the engine is a completely revised exhaust system designed to amplify its acoustics. And it does, to everyone else except those inside the cabin. It is clearly louder and richer but still rather muted, particularly when compared to the fireworks that emanate from the F-Type V8 S with the same engine.

What is great about the XFR-S is the way it rides. Even with the adaptive dampers set to Dynamic mode it still gently soaked up the few imperfections encountered on the road without any sign of crashing through the body. And, when switched back to its standard settings, it loped along at highway speeds more like a traditional luxury car than a hardedged sports sedan.

Traditional design What is not so great is the basic Jaguar XF d e -

sign is starting to show its age; the interior design is nowhere near as modern nor does it have the quality or functions of its rivals and the rear seat is comparatively cramped for leg and headroom and that polarising rear wing, which is actually an expensive option, cuts through its rear vision.

The car’s extrovert looks which blends performance and luxury in exactly the same way but with much less digital intervention than its Teutonic rivals certainly makes it easier to live with everyday, and a car that you’re slightly less prone to lose your licence in.

Standard Features Standard kit includes heated and ventilated sports seats trimmed in soft, perforated leather, a heated steering wheel deep pile carpet mats, leather trim with twin needle contrast stitching on n th the instrument p panel ane

and door roll tops, dual zone automatic climate control, a sunroof, a smart key system with keyless start, a driver information center, 20-inch alloy wheels and ambient interior lighting.

An 825-watt, 18-speaker sound system from British audio specialist Meridian is fitted as standard.

Technology items include a blind-spot monitoring system, a touchscreen navigation system with 30 GB of music storage space, Bluetooth smartphone connectivity with wireless audio streaming, adaptive headlights with an intelligent high-beam system and front and rear parking aid systems.

Driving impressions But the XFR-S isn’t just fast.

It also sounds the part, especially so at full-throttle. It’s a melodic concoction that’s equal parts burly

V8, tuned quad-tip exhaust and what Jag calls a “symposer.” It sounds high-tech, but it’s actually just a means of channelling induction noise into the cabin.

It works well with the supercharger, which adds its own unique sound to the mix. Driven casually, however, the XFRS is a properly subdued British gent.

Same goes for the ZF-built eight-speed automatic transmission. It’s smooth and lurchfree with a supple throttle calibration in Drive mode. But turn the shift knob to S and/or select the Dynamic mode and the XFR-S comes alive. The small, oddly chintzy plastic paddles call up stirring throttle blips on downshifts, while a huge gear indicator pops up in the centre of the instrument panel for aggressive driving.

An up-rated chassis is responsible for the XFR-S’s new on-track composure and abilities. The double-wishbone front suspen-

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

A19 35

Behind d Wheels This page is open to sponsorship

Autocare Understand your car’s alignment and balancing allows you to feel some degree of corner-exit slide before it cuts the throttle.

With such big gains in roll stiffness, it doesn’t take a genius to guess that comfort will suffer. And yes, the XFR-S is stiffer than any Jag sedan we’ve driven before. Even with the variable dampers set to normal, you’re keenly aware of each road imperfection. Drive for a few hours on two-lane roads and the jiggly ride gets old. And those high-performance Pirellis aren’t exactly quiet.

The XFR-S’s 15-inch front and 14.8-inch rear brake rotors clamped by sliding calipers are mechanically identical to those on the larger and also 550-hpequipped 2014 XJR. The difference is that the XFR-S has better cooling via small plastic flaps (visible in the wheel-well) that duct air from underneath the car toward the brakes. sion gets new knuckles from the XKR-S coupe, along with wheel bearings and steering valving from the F-Type convertible. There’s also a new rear subframe that allows for revised geometry for the multilink suspension.

The changes add up to a stiffly sprung but planted ultra sport sedan with a perfect stance. The steering is precise and there’s mega grip with little body roll. The XFR-S can be hustled far more easily and more quickly than you’d ever guess was possible of a 4,100-plus-pound car.

Understeer is still the prevailing attitude through most corners, which makes the car controllable and forgiving. But when you’ve got 550 hp to tap into, steering with the rear is just a throttle prod away. For those who would rather not take a chance spinning off the course backward, the car’s Dynamic mode

Interior design Step inside and dark aluminium trim, carbon leather and XFR-S badges signal that this is Jaguar’s range-topping sedan. Just firing up the 2014 Jaguar XFR-S and its throaty V8 might be enough for some, but not for Jag. The designers added some additional visual appeal to the interior as well. There’s a soft Alcantara headliner and optional exterior colour-matched stitching on the dash, doors, centre armrest and seats.

In most other respects, the interior is similar to that of the XFR - high-quality materials, supple hides and several surprising touches. So-called “surprise and delight” air-conditioning vents present a flush dashboard surface until the ignition is switched on, at which point they rotate to the open position.

Also lying dormant until the car is switched on is the unusual rotary shifter, which motors up and can be rotated to select from park, reverse, neutral, d r i v e , and sequential modes.

T h e front seats

are thickly padded and go a long way toward damping the car’s stiff ride, while offering sidehugging lateral support. There’s fine-smelling leather everywhere, but it’s mostly unpadded. The centre and door armrests, for instance, are almost painfully hard. And as special as the cabin feels, there’s no masking the dated look of the center stack and instruments.

Exterior design Outside, the XFR-S features a wild body kit with oversized central and side air intakes, extended side sills and a rear diffuser constructed from carbon fiber. Sitting on the rear decklid is the buyer’s choice of two rear wings: a smaller, more restrained unit, and a huge, ricerocket-like contraption that’s slightly lacking in grace.

The exterior features numerous aero tweaks intended to keep this jet of a Jag rubberside down. Up front there’s a deeper bumper with a splitter made from carbon fiber. Along the sides are thick, heavily contoured rocker panels, while the rear end gets a diffuser on the bottom and a ludicrous spoiler on the trunk. Jag says together these elements reduce lift by 68 percent.

Occupant Safety Every XFR-S model comes with dual front, side and side curtain airbags, ABS, traction and stability control systems, an emergency brake assist system and a valet mode that limits the car to low speeds.

Limited offer The 2014 Jaguar XFR-S isn’t for everyone. In fact, Jag only plans to sell 100 of these cars a year in the U.S. starting at $99,000, so it knows the limited appeal of such an aggressive sedan.

This car is more about making a statement. It’s an unabashed attempt to kick the new BMW M5 in the teeth, while laughing in the face of the all-wheel-drive-only 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. The XFR-S sounds right, looks right and it’ll do blocklong burnouts. If Jaguar can’t find 100 people in the U.S. that will sign up for it, then it might have to re-evaluate its whole philosophy. We doubt that will be the case. BC

I

f you notice that your vehicle pulls significantly to the left or right when you are travelling on a straight, flat road with little cross-wind, or your tyres are wearing abnormally, then your wheel alignment may require adjustment. You should therefore take your vehicle to a a reputable garage to have its wheel alignment checked.

This is a simple process, which may require slight adjustment of front and/or rear suspension components. If your vehicle’s wheels are not properly aligned, this can cause abnormal wearing of the tyres.

Note that wheel alignment may also be referred to as suspension alignment.

Why is wheel alignment important?: Wheel alignment can affect the amount of wear and tear that tyres endure. The normal alignment on most vehicles is designed to minimise wear and tear and maximise driver and passenger comfort. Correct four wheel alignment will reduce wear on your tyres, help increase their life and performance, and improve fuel economy. It will also improve handling and driving safety by reducing steering and stability problems.

Wheel alignment versus wheel balancing?: People often get confused between wheel alignment and wheel balancing. They are completely different. Wheel alignment, or tracking as it’s sometimes called, consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are as specified by your vehicle manufacturer. On the other hand, wheel balancing allows the wheels to spin without causing unnecessary vibration.

Why does wheel misalignment happen?: Misalignment can occur when hitting a kerb or driving through a pothole, as well as in more severe circumstances like accidents, which can knock your vehicle’s suspension out of alignment. Misalignment can also happen as suspension components wear or when they are replaced. When wheel alignment is incorrect, rapid tyre wear can occur especially on the edge of the tyres, and vehicle handling can also be adversely affected. It almost certainly means that you will have to replace your tyres earlier than expected.

It takes only a small misalignment to create problems.: The purpose of correct wheel alignment is to provide optimum vehicle handling and to maximise the life of the tyres.

The main reasons for having correct wheel alignment are: It can save you money, as tyre replacements are required less frequently.

Your tyres will last longer and vehicle handling will be optimized and will drive smoother with less tyre rolling resistance.

How are wheels aligned?: Correcting wheel alignment involves adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they have the specified amount of toe in / toe out and camber. The three main adjustments which may be made concerning alignment are camber, caster, and toe.

Camber: Camber is the angle of lean of the wheel away from the vertical when viewed from the front of the vehicle. If the wheel leans too far, uneven wear will occur.

Positive camber is when the top of the wheel is leaning away from the car. Too much positive camber causes tyres to wear on the outside edge.

Negative camber is when the top of the wheel is leaning in towards the car. Too much negative camber causes tyres to wear on the inside edge.

The camber angle is designed and adjusted for each vehicle to optimise the tyre’s behaviour on the straight and during a turn.

If there is too much difference between the camber angles of the front wheels, the vehicle will tend to pull to one side.

Toe: Toe identifies the direction in which the tyres are pointing relative to the centre line of the vehicle. Toe is usually expressed as the difference in distance between the front of the wheels and the rear of the wheels on the same axle.

Toe settings affect the handling characteristics of the vehicle and its straight line stability.

Toe-in is when the front of the wheels on an axle are closer together than the rear of the wheels. If there is too much toe-in, the tyre tread will tend to wear more on the outside edges. The tread will also wear in a feathered manner which can be felt by running your hands across the tread of the tyre.

Toe-out is when the rear of the wheels on an axle are closer together than the front of the wheels. If there is too much toeout, the tyre tread will tend to wear more on the inner edges. The tread will also wear in a feathered manner which can be felt by running your hands across the tread of the tyre. BC

A20 36

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NSE wants more of $22 billion pension market

T

he Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) is seeking to have rules on pension-fund investing relaxed to attract funds and boost Africa’s third-best performing gauge this year, Chief Executive Officer Oscar Onyema said.

Nigeria has more than N3.5 trillion ($22 billion) in invested retirement savings, according to the National Pension Commission, Pencom. Investors should be able to put that money into companies with at least three years of financial statements, less than the five required now, he said.

“Most of Pencom’s regulations are designed to protect investors, but investors are becoming more sophisticated,” Onyema said. “We are working very closely with them, the National Assembly, and other appropriate bodies to highlight areas where we believe there is a need for enhancement.”

Onyema wants reforms to boost stocks, which have led the market’s allshare index 32 per cent higher this year, and bolster an economy set to expand 6.2 per cent this year and 7.4 per cent in 2014, according to the International Monetary Fund.

South Africa’s pension assets were

worth about 3 trillion rand ($307 billion) by the second quarter, according to Bloomberg calculations made using Reserve Bank data, while the Johannesburg Stock Exchange’s all-share index gained 15 per cent this year. Ghana, which ended the state pension fund’s monopoly on retirement savings, had assets of 1.06 billion cedis ($484 million) last year, according to the country’s pensions regulator. Ghana’s Composite Index is Africa’s best performer this year, jumping 75 percent.

The exchange is targeting a market capitalization of $1 trillion by 2016 from its current $74 billion, Africa’s biggest after Johannesburg. The Nigerian gauge is still down 43 per cent from a March 2008 record, tumbling after a debt crisis caused by investors borrowing to buy stocks before prices crashed.

Pension funds are only able to invest in listed companies which have paid dividends or issued bonus shares for at least one year out of the five they have financial statements for, according to Pencom’s website.

“We don’t even look at dividends in our listing standards,” Onyema said.

“What we look at is profitability and

Resourcery’s

market capitalization.”

The commission increased the equities investment limit for pension funds to 50 percent from 25 percent in November 2012 to help boost trading. Pencom wanted to increase “investment in equities and other outlets but with due attention to returns and safety,” Ehimeme Ohioma, head of investment supervi-

CBN endorses Union Bank’s divestment plans

turnover hits N5.9bn

By Kunle Azeez

T

O

ne of Nigeria’s leading Information and Communication Technology firm, Resourcery has recorded impressive performance in its operation by boosting its turnover from N5.2 billion in 2011 to N5.9 billion in 2012.

Chairman of the company’s board, Tayo Amusan, who disclosed this during 23th Annual General Meeting of the company for the year ended 2012, held in Lagos recently, said the turnover represents a 14 per cent increase over the previous year.

Resourcery paid N45 million to its shareholders as half dividend for the year ended December 2012.

Amusan noted that the company continued to demonstrate leadership in Systems Integration in the West African market even as he confirmed the company’s leadership position as the top partner in the West Africa region for global technology leaders like Cisco Systems, Check Point, ArcSight, SAS and CommScope.

“In spite of the particular challenges faced last year from the generally harsh economic climate, our company has, through hard work and dedication, managed to protect the interest of our shareholders. Our turnover for the year under review increased from N5.2 billion in 2011 to N5.9 billion in 2012, this represents a 14 per cent top line growth.

Despite the interest cost of N220 million, the company achieved profit before tax of N201 million,” Amusan said.

He also said that “In fulfillment of the promise we made at the 22nd Annual General Meeting to our shareholders, we are pleased to announce that the 2012 half dividend of N45 million has been paid to our shareholders. This further

Onyema

sion, said on Nov. 15.

The stock exchange is bidding to attract investment from the growing energy industry following moves by the government to sell stakes in power production and transmission companies.

“We think that, with time, they will at one point or another come to the market to help to finance their massive capital needs,” Onyema said.

Nigeria has a lone exchange-traded fund, NewGold Issuer Ltd. (GLD), and a target to list five more by the end of the year may not be attained because of the time it takes to register, Onyema said.

“We are pushing hard and trying to support them as much as possible to see if we can actually get at least one or two through the system before the end of the year,” he said.

The bourse is working to develop a ranking system on governance to improve transparency, Onyema said. The initiative, which started with 10 companies, will lead to the creation of a corporate governance index. Nigeria ranks 139th out of 174 in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, where lower scores signal increased graft. BC

Amusan

signifies the board’s commitment to the growth and development of the organisation as it strives to become Africa’s preferred IT Company.”

Its Managing Director, Tani Fafunwa, noted that the year 2012 provided Resourcery with the opportunity to improve on its service offerings as well as consolidate on the gains made in 2011.

In this regard, the company made a number of strategic investment choices designed to expand and strengthen its solution offerings.

“From expanded vendor relationship to improved technical skills in partner’s solution offerings, the company implemented market strategies that aligned with our major partners for maximum benefit.

“The company invested in Kitskoo Cloud Services, a company set up to take advantage of major global and local transitions and shifts in technology. These changes include the availability and local viability of cloud services, increases in mobile connected devices and the need for expert security solutions brought about by these very changes. The solutions, when offered over solid infrastructure, offer immense benefits to customers in terms of efficiency, cost reduction and speed to market,” he added. BC

he Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) Plc, on Friday said that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had approved its plan to divest from non-banking portfolios.

In a statement issued on Friday in Lagos, the bank said that had also notified the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) of the CBN’s approval.

It said that the development was in compliance with CBN’s “Regulation 3’’ on the scope of banking activities and ancillary matters.

The CBN had in 2010 the CBN repealed the universal banking model in which banks were allowed to provide a broad range of financial services through subsidiaries.

According to the bank, “Regulation 3″ restricts banks to operate as commercial, merchant or specialised banks.

The statement said the approval would make UBN to divest from nonbanking and portfolio companies, with the exception of the bank’s UK branch, and operate as an international commercial bank.

In his remarks, Emeka Emuwa, the Managing Director of UBN Plc, said “our fulfillment of our “Regulation 3’’ obligation to CBN comes at an important point in the times of Emuwa Union Bank’’.

“Union Bank is currently on a journey of transformation to its position as one of the leading banks in Nigeria’’.

“Our ambition today is to be reliable, to be an institution which delivers the best services possible to its customers and which consistently creates value for all its stakeholders.’’

Emuwa said the bank had therefore decided to focus its resources on core banking function as one of the many steps to enable it achieve its transformation goals “Under the universal banking model, banks diversified into other financial businesses through subsidiaries and interests in associate companies to capture additional revenue streams’’ Emuwa said. BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

A21 37

Market indices drop 0.40 per cent amidst profit taking

A

ctivities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Friday ended on a downward trend, as the market indicators declined by 0.40 per cent, due to profit taking.

The market capitalisation lost N48 billion or 0.40 per cent to close at N11.969 trillion, compared with the N12.017 trillion recorded on Thursday.

Similarly, the NSE AllShare index, which opened at 37,611.65, dropped by 149.71 basis points or 0.40 per cent to close at 37,461.94, as a result of price depreciation.

Mobil Oil led the losers’ table, losing N3.95 to close at N116.05 per share.

Nigerian Breweries came second on the losers’ chart with N3.50 to close at N170, while Guinness dipped N3 to close at N283 per share.

Forte Oil lost N1.57 to close at N72.98, while Ashaka Cement depreciated by 0.87k, to close at N21.17 per share.

Market watchers attributed the downward trend to profit taking embarked upon by investors, to take advantage of the gains recorded by the market in the last three days.

Conversely, CAP led the gainers’ chart, gaining N2.12 to close at N48.99 per share.

It was followed by Okomu Oil with a gain of N1.99 to close at N45.99, while Nestle increased by 94k to close at N1,051 per share.

Flour Mills gained 75k to close at N84.75, while UACProperty rose by 71k, to close at N18.96 per share.

The volume of shares traded dropped by 30.45 per cent, with an exchange of 228.99 million shares worth N2.76 billion, achieved in 4,630 deals.

This was against the 329.24 million shares valued

at N2.93 billion, exchanged in 5,044 deals on Thursday.

An analysis of the activity chart showed that UBA emerged the most traded stock, with a total of 40.01 million shares, worth N311.83 million.

It was trailed by Transcorp, which accounted for 31.59 million shares valued at N57.93 million, while GT Bank transacted 22.49 million shares worth N568.28 million.

Unity Bank sold 13.68 million shares valued N7.18 million, while FBN Holdings traded a total of 10.07 million shares worth N165.88 million. BC

Market Indicators for Week Ended 25-10-13 All-Share Index 37,461.94 points Market Capitalization N11,969,483,795,497.43 Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING PRICE

BERGER

IFC, Diamond Bank to increase access to finance for agric sector

I

FC, a member of the World Bank Group, says it will provide advisory services to Diamond Bank Plc to help it increase access to finance in Nigeria’s agricultural sector by up to $33 million over two years, strengthening a vital but severely under-financed sector in Nigeria’s economy and boosting small businesses.

The projected lending will be extended to small and medium enterprises across the sector, including livestock farmers, producer groups, distributors, processors, traders and retailers.

It will also target almost 2,000 small holder farmers.

IFC will provide Diamond Bank with advisory services on strategy, product development and risk management, and help develop a financing model to viably lend to small and medium agribusinesses.

Alex Otti, CEO, Diamond Bank, said “Diamond Bank has always demonstrated

Otti

market leadership in the provision of innovative financial services and solutions to all segments of the society.

“Through this partnership with IFC, we are better positioned to serve a faster growing share of Nigeria’s newly emerging bankable population in the agricultural sector, and create more growth opportunities for the players as

well as the economy.”

Ian Weetman, IFC financial markets manager in subSaharan Africa, said “Increasing growth and employment in the agricultural sector is a critical objective for IFC in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.

“To this end, IFC’s advisory services aim to increase access to finance throughout the agricultural and food supply chain. We are very pleased to be working with our longstanding partner, Diamond Bank, in the pursuit of these objectives.”

Agriculture is the main activity of the majority of Nigerians, accounting for 40 percent of gross domestic product and 60 percent of employment, but the sector currently only receives 1.4 per cent of total commercial bank lending in the country. With increased financing, the sector can develop as a business to fulfil its potential as an engine of economic growth and employment. BC

CLOSING PRICE

CHANGE

8.00

8.40

5.00

CAP

46.87

48.99

4.52

OKOMUOIL

44.00

45.99

4.52

CUSTODYINS

1.67

1.74

4.19

LEARNAFRICA

1.70

1.77

4.12

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING PRICE

CLOSING PRICE

CHANGE

INTENEGINS

0.75

0.69

-8.00

PAINTCOM

2.20

2.09

-5.00

AIRSERVICE

3.69

3.51

-4.88

VONO

1.67

1.59

-4.79

UBA

7.98

7.60

-4.76

Inter-Bank Rates TENOR

RATE%(PREV) 17-Oct-2013

RATE%(CURR) 24-Oct-2013

CALL

10.5000 - 10.5000%

10.5000 - 10.7500%

OBB

10.2500 - 12.0000%

10.0000 - 11.0000%

Primary Market Auction TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

91-Days

RATE (%)

DATE

32888.9

10.8

23-Oct-13

182-Days

30000

11.58

23-Oct-13

364-Days

31385.9

11.7

23-Oct-13

Open Market Operation TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

182-Days

100000

91-Days 182-Days

RATE (%) 12.75

DATE 05-Sept-13

22970.71

10.9

05-Sept-13

40000

12.34

05-Sept-13

Wholesale Dutch Auction System AMOUNT OFFERED

MARKET DEMAND

AMOUNT SOLD

DATE

$300m

$296,451,399.78m

$296,451,399.78m

23-Oct-13

$300m

$299,539,568.98m

$299,539,568.98m

21-Oct-13

A22 38

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Japaul: A sliding profit on rising interest expenses

By Johnson Okanlawon

A

udited report and accounts of Japaul for the year ended December 31, 2012 showed a similar pattern of performance that had seen average profit before tax margin dropped consistently from a high of about 26 per cent in 2008 to a low of 4.2 per cent in 2012.

First quarter report for the this business year has also indicated the same performance outlook with average pre-tax profit margin dropping by 63 per cent within comparable three months of operations.

The unimpressive bottomline has correspondingly affected returns, especially dividends to shareholders. While it paid a paltry two kobo in the 2011 financial year, the company could not declare any dividend for the 2012 business year as it struggled with rising financial leverage.

Audited report of the oil and gas services company showed that while sales rose by about 20 per cent in 2012, declining cost efficiency undermined the top-down impact of the larger top-line. With 32 per cent increase in cost of sales, 29 per cent rise in total operating expenses and 560 per cent jump in interest expenses, pre and post tax profits contracted by 62 per cent and 70 per cent respectively.

Besides, adjustments made in line with provisions of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) shaved 24 per cent off the intrinsic net assets value of the company.

Company Overview Japaul Oil and Maritime Services Plc is engaged in the provision of oil and maritime services in Nigeria and internationally. The company was incorporated in 1994 and started business operation in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State with N40,000.00 Capital base in a one-room office. The company started as a maritime Broker and supplies all manner of material to companies.

It bought its first Marine craft in 2009 which is called Japaul-I a barge of 300 tons.

As at 2010, Japaul have in ex-

Jegede Paul, Group Managing Director

cess of 55 river marine craft in her fleet and 16 no/ sea-going vessels.

The Company became a listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange in 2005, having a capital base in excess of N23 billion as at December 2010.

Finance Japaul’s shareholders’ funds dropped by 24.3 per cent from N22.56 billion in 2011 to N17.08 billion in 2012. While the paid up share capital had remained unchanged at N3.13 billion or 6.26 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each, re-examination of previously retained earnings left the company with negative reserves of N2.49 billion, which adversely affected its net assets base.

Total assets rose by 20 per cent from N27.27 billion to N32.66 billion. Current assets had declined by 24 per cent from N5.01 billion to N3.79 billion but it was counterbalanced by 30 per cent growth in long-term assets from N22.26 billion to N28.87 billion. Total liabilities however jumped by 230 per cent from N4.72 billion to N15.58 billion. Current liabilities had risen by 42 per cent from N3.41 billion to N4.83 billion while long-term liabilities jumped by 723 per cent from N1.31 billion to N10.75 billion.

The financing structure

of the company was generally weak. Debt-to-equity ratio stood at 17.4 per cent in 2012 as against 5.4 per cent in 2011. The proportion of equity funds to total assets dropped considerably from 83 per cent in 2011 to 52 per cent in 2012.

Profitability Japaul saw a major contraction in profitability in 2012, further underlining the inability of management to halt sustained and considerable year-on-year decline in average profit-making capacity. Average pre-tax profit margin hit a low of 4.2 per cent in 2012 as against 13.4 per cent in 2011. It had dropped from 25.5 per cent in 2008 to 22.02 per cent in 2009 and closed 2010 at 15.02 per cent.

Gross profit margin set the downtrend in 2012 with loss of five percentage points from 46 per cent in 2011 to 40.7 per cent in 2012. With depressed bottom-line, both actual and underlying returns reduced considerably. Return on total assets slumped to 1.6 per cent in 2012 as against 5.0 per cent in 2011. Return on equity also dropped from 4.0 per cent to 1.6 per cent, underlining the double-end losses of shareholders who were not paid any dividend for the year.

Earnings per share slumped to 4.5 kobo in 2012 as against 15.7 kobo in 2011.

The company distributed N125 million to shareholders, on the basis of 2.0 kobo per share, as dividends for the 2011 business year. Net assets per share also dropped by 24 per cent from N3.60 in 2011 to N2.73 in 2012.

Notwithstanding, the company’s net assets suggested a significant undervaluation at the stock market, where its shares have stuck around its nominal value of 50 kobo.

Japaul however witnessed appreciable growth in the topline in 2012. Group turnover rose from N10.25 billion to N12.28 billion. Overall topline performance was driven by impressive growth of 28 per cent in its largest business segment, offshore services, which recorded turnover of N7.24 billion in 2012 as against N5.66 billion in 2011.

Besides, top-line performance was driven mainly by growth within the Nigerian

market. Foreign incomes from the company’s operations in the United Arab Emirates dropped from N1.62 billion in 2011 to N1.25 billion in 2012 However, cost of sales outpaced turnover growth with 32 per cent increase in 2012 to N7.28 billion as against N5.53 billion in 2011. Group gross profit thus inched up by 5.9 per cent from N4.72 billion to N5.0 billion.

General and administrative costs ballooned to N3.66 billion in 2012 as against N2.93 billion in 2011, just as sales and distribution expenses rose from N451.4 million to N680.6 million.

Total group operating expenses thus stood at N4.35 billion in 2012 compared with N3.38 billion in 2011. While interest and other non-core incomes rose by 25 per cent from N62 million to N77 million, interest expenses jumped by 560 per cent from N32 million to N210 million.

With these, profit before tax dropped from N1.38 billion to N521 million while profit after tax followed the downtrend with a drop of 70 per cent to N272 million in 2012 as against N908 million in 2011.

Liquidity The liquidity position of the company weakened considerably during the period with negative working capital and significant decline in financial coverage and immediate response to financing obligations.

Current ratio, which denotes the financial agility of a company by relating current assets to current liabilities, dropped below reassuring benchmark to 0.78 times in 2012 as against 1.47 times in 2011.

Current ratio is accepted as one of the measures of solvency and going concern status.

Also, the proportion of working capital to total turnover worsened in 2012 at -8.5 per cent as against positive working capital at 15.7 per cent in 2011. Debtors/creditors ratio stood at 400 per cent as against 475 per cent. BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, October 28, 2013

A23 39

STOCKWATCH Stock Exchange weekly equities summary as at Friday, Oct 25, 2013 SECURITY

PRICE (=N=)

AGRICULTURE/AGRO-ALLIED Crop Production FTN COCOA PROCESSORS PLC 0.50 OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. 45.99 PRESCO PLC 34.50 Fishing/Hunting/Trapping ELLAH LAKES PLC. NT Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. 3.86 CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. 1.65 CHELLARAMS PLC. NT JOHN HOLT PLC. 1.24 TRANSNATIONAL CORP. OF NIG.PLC 1.83 U A C N PLC. 64.99 CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Building Construction ARBICO PLC. NT CAPPA & D’ALBERTO PLC. NT Building Structure/Completion/Other COSTAIN (W A) PLC. 1.07 G CAPPA PLC NT Non--Building/Heavy Construction JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. 77.00 ROADS NIG PLC. NT Real Estate Development PINNACLE POINT GROUP PLC NT UACN PROPERTY DEV 18.96 Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) SKYE SHELTER FUND PLC NT UNION HOMES REAL ESTATE INV NT UPDC REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST NT CONSUMER GOODS Automobiles/Auto Parts DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC NT Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. NT GOLDEN GUINEA BREW. PLC. NT GUINNESS NIG PLC 238.00 INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. 22.00 JOS INT. BREWERIES PLC. 3.60 NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. 170.00 PREMIER BREWERIES PLC NT Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. 68.00 Food Products BIG TREAT PLC NT DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC 9.50 DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC 11.43 FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. 84.75 HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC 2.97 MULTI-TREX INTEGRATED FOODS PLC 0.51 N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. 24.37 NATIONAL SALT CO. NIG. PLC 12.35 P S MANDRIDES & CO PLC. NT U T C NIG. PLC. 0.70 UNION DICON SALT PLC. NT Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. 56.50 NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. 1,051.00 Household Durables BETA GLASS CO PLC. NT NIGERIAN ENAMELWARE PLC. NT VITAFOAM NIG PLC. 4.15 VONO PRODUCTS PLC. 1.59 Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. 38.99 UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. 60.00 Textiles/Apparel UNITED NIG. TEXTILES PLC. NT FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. 10.39 DIAMOND BANK PLC 6.57 ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INC. 13.80 FIDELITY BANK PLC 2.71 FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK PLC. NT GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. 25.20 SKYE BANK PLC 4.63 STERLING BANK PLC. 2.39 U B A PLC 7.60 UNION BANK NIG.PLC. 10.50 UNITY BANK PLC 0.53 WEMA BANK PLC. 1.14 ZENITH BANK PLC 21.70 Insurance Carriers, Brokers & Services AFRICAN ALLIANCE INS. COY. PLC NT AIICO INSURANCE PLC. 0.92 CONFIDENCE INSURANCE PLC NT CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INS. PLC 0.50 CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC 1.06 CORNERSTONE INS. COY. PLC. 0.50 CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED INS. PLC 1.74 EQUITY ASSURANCE PLC. 0.50 GOLDLINK INSURANCE PLC NT GREAT NIGERIAN INSURANCE PLC NT GUINEA INSURANCE PLC. NT INTERCONTINENTAL WAPIC INS. PLC NT INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INS. PLC 0.69 INVESTMENT AND ALLIED ARN. NT LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. NT LAW UNION AND ROCK INS. PLC. NT LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC 0.50 MANSARD INSURANCE PLC 2.04 MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. 0.50 N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. 0.64 NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. NT OASIS INSURANCE PLC 0.50 PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. 0.55 REGENCY ALLIANCE INS. COY PLC NT SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC 0.50 STACO INSURANCE PLC NT STANDARD TRUSTASSURANCE PLC 0.50 STANDARD ALLIANCE INS. PLC. 0.50 UNIC INSURANCE PLC. NT UNITY KAPITAL ASSURANCE PLC 0.50 UNIVERSAL INS. COMPANY PLC NT WAPIC INSURANCE PLC 0.91 Micro Finance Banks FORTIS MICROFINANCE BANK PLC NT NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC 0.77 Mortgage Carriers, Brokers &Services ABBEY BUILDING SOCIETY PLC NT ASO SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC 0.50 RESORT SAVINGS & LOANS PLC NT UNION HOMES SAVINGS&LOANS PLC 0.5 Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS 1.88 CRUSADER ( NIG) PLC. NT DEAP CAPITAL MGT & TRUST PLC NT FBN HOLDINGS PLC 16.45 FCMB GROUP PLC 3.73 NIG SEW. MACH. MAN. CO. PLC. NT NIGERIA ENERYGY SECTOR FUND NT ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. 0.50 STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC 19.10 UBA CAPITAL PLC 1.30 HEALTHCARE Healthcare Providers EKOCORP PLC. NT UNION DIAGNOSTIC &CLINICAL PLC NT Medical Supplies MORISON INDUSTRIES PLC. NT Pharmaceuticals EVANS MEDICAL PLC. NT

NOTE NT=Not Traded on 25-10-13

QUANTITY

52 WK HIGH

52 WK LOW

SHARES OUTSTANDING

EPS

MOV. (%)

Previous

300,000 1,295,336 10,735

0.64 107.81 41.14

0.50 20.92 8.24

2,200,000,000 476,955,000 1,000,000,000

0.10 2.29 7.55

N/A 4.21 -1.43

0.50 44.13 35.00

NT

4.26

4.26

60,000,000

0.00

N/A

NT

1,806,323

7.18

0.68

1,199,549,736

0.07

-1.03

3.90

3,600 1,000 115,000 31,588,133 347,896

2.08 6.43 5.89 1.96 71.10

0.71 4.36 1.07 0.50 28.00

2,191,895,983 963,900,300 389,151,408 821,666,666 1,600,720,323

0.11 0.16 1.09 0.09 4.38

0.00 N/A N/A N/A N/A

1.65 NT 1.30 1.64 65.00

20 250

26.00 95.49

5.05 95.49

148,500,000 196,876,000

0.33 4.50

N/A N/A

NT 95.49

240,149 300

2.66 14.46

0.72 14.46

920,573,765 125,000,000

0.00 0.00

N/A N/A

1.09 14.46

35,070 133

83.75 10.60

19.86 6.61

1,200,000,000 20,000,000

6.74 1.69

0.00 N/A

77.00 8.46

NT 1,587,558

7.28 19.25

7.28 8.82

1,375,000,000

0.00 2.20

N/A 13.60

NT 16.69

1,000 NT 1,820

100.00 50.00 10.50

100.00 50.00 0.00

20,000,000 250,019,781

5.82 0.19

N/A N/A

NT NT NT

43,595

0.50

0.50

4,772,528,415

0.00

N/A

NT

50,000 10,082 1,509,616 278,775 3,300 564,065 3,000

19.48 0.68 297.41 28.67 9.09 179.40 0.97

3.13 0.68 209.10 5.34 0.81 91.10 0.93

900,000,000 272,160,000 1,474,925,519 2,112,914,681 562,000,000 7,562,562,340 126,000,000

0.00 0.00 8.66 0.63 0.00 5.03 0.00

N/A N/A -3.26 N/A N/A -1.09 N/A

NT NT 246.01 21.40 3.78 171.88 NT

19,956

75.90

38.12

640,590,362

4.46

N/A

68.00

NT 696,500 1,005,849 446,791 789,421 1,000 2,300 594,404 NT 139,000 NT

0.50 10.68 12.85 109.24 3.74 1.21 29.70 14.00 5.94 0.93 4.22

0.50 3.85 3.26 50.00 1.83 0.50 17.51 3.65 5.35 0.50 4.22

2,000,000,000 5,000,000,000 12,000,000,000 1,879,210,666 7,930,197,658 3,722,493,620 178,200,000 40,000,000 1,233,375,004 360,000,000

0.00 0.00 0.81 3.38 0.34 0.00 0.00 1.05 0.08 1.13 0.00

N/A 0.00 -3.14 1.84 -1.00 N/A N/A 0.08 N/A 0.00 N/A

NT 9.50 11.80 83.22 3.00 0.51 NT 12.34 NT 0.70 NT

287,639 229,238

64.53 1088.00

8.33 400.00

3,129,188,160 792,656,250

1.57 28.34

-0.88 1.06

57.00 1,040.01

NT NT 168,000 85,394

15.58 36.19 5.54 2.88

10.03 32.27 2.91 0.57

63,360,000 819,000,000 300,000,001

3.90 13.92 0.71 0.00

N/A N/A -2.81 N/A

NT NT 4.27 NT

439,678 396,076

56.00 76.00

21.02 27.60

3,176,381,636 3,783,296,250

1.34 1.42

-1.29 -1.70

39.50 61.04

NT

0.97

0.57

843,284,027

0.00

N/A

NT

6,416,115 6,044,643 7,813,501 4,222,700 NT 22,493,469 5,050,465 3,585,644 40,006,542 1,495,603 13,682,021 7,773,508 6,060,296

12.39 7.66 16.01 3.47 8.30 29.99 7.05 3.05 9.60 15.30 1.16 1.88 22.80

4.70 1.92 9.90 1.13 3.04 13.02 2.65 0.80 1.64 2.34 0.50 0.50 11.96

17,888,251,479 14,475,243,105 9,873,614,567 28,974,797,023 16,271,192,202 29,146,482,209 13,219,334,676 12,563,091,545 32,334,693,693 13,509,726,273 33,675,576,085 12,821,249,880 31,396,493,790

1.61 1.71 3.67 0.68 0.60 3.08 0.97 0.63 1.70 0.44 0.18 0.00 3.30

-0.10 2.34 -1.08 -3.56 #VALUE! -0.40 0.22 -1.24 -3.18 0.00 0.00 -10.94 -1.54

10.40 6.42 13.95 2.81 NT 25.30 4.62 2.42 7.85 10.50 0.55 1.28 22.04

1,000 8,517,932 NT 300,000 1,721,416 12,250 2,044,859 118,178 NT 150 150 NT 627,711 NT 100 100 100,000 92,500 10,000 4,994,822 206,000 15,000 199,359 200 125,767 200 90,253 98,178 7,464 120,700 52,000 124,178

0.50 1.42 0.64 0.52 1.45 0.72 2.44 0.50 0.69 0.60 0.50 2.50 2.50 0.50 0.50 0.61 0.50 2.87 0.63 1.01 1.11 0.50 1.24 0.53 0.59 0.50

0.50 0.50 0.61 0.50 0.58 0.50 1.08 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1.06 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

20,585,000,000 7,809,391,256 211,626,000 6,000,000,000 10,372,624,157 8,820,010,363 5,100,846,808 8,847,298,420 4,549,947,000 3,827,485,380 720,000,000 5,061,804,000 6,420,427,449 28,000,000,000 7,323,313,227 3,437,330,500 4,083,713,569 10,000,000,000 7,998,705,336 5,332,830,881 5,649,693,923 5,003,506,791 2,508,315,436 6,668,750,000 5,203,757,266 6,141,087,609

0.00 0.19 0.00 0.05 0.15 0.02 0.24 0.01 0.00 0.03 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.02 0.25 0.00 0.37 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.04 0.09 0.00

N/A 0.00 N/A N/A 0.00 0.00 0.00 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0.00 N/A N/A N/A 0.00 -2.86 N/A -3.03 N/A N/A 3.77 N/A 0.00 N/A

NT 0.92 NT 0.50 1.10 NT 1.78 NT NT NT NT NT 0.86 NT 0.50 0.50 NT 2.10 NT 0.66 NT NT 0.53 NT 0.50 NT

0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1.55

0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

8,493,173,450 2,581,733,505 13,000,000,000 16,000,000,000

0.00 0.00 0.02 0.00 0.07

N/A N/A N/A N/A

NT NT 0.50 NT 0.88

4,100 3,000

6.60 1.22

0.00 0.72

100 800 800 89,253

1.65 0.50 0.50 0.99

1.37 0.50 0.50 0.50

521,961 NT NT 10,071,513 3,071,546 NT 100 12,000 892,803 2,772,489

2.1 0.61 2.02 21.50 5.70 0.15 552.20 1.33 20.72 1.70

0 0.50 2.02 8.57 2.90 0.15 555.20 0.50 10.64 0.00

286 100

5.05 0.50

4.32 0.50

498,600,908 3,553,138,528

0.13 0.00

N/A N/A

NT NT

NT

10.54

7.39

152,178,750

0.00

N/A

NT

199,200

4.80

0.50

486,473,856

0.58

#VALUE!

NT

N/A=Not Avialable

1.18 0.19 4,200,000,000 8,679,148,676 13,175,732,404 7,812,500,000

3,778,005,975 1,333,333,333 32,632,084,358 5,880,000 2,500,000 3,608,657,661 18,750,000,000

0.03 0.02 0.30 0.00 0.63 0.00 0.15 2.45 1.23 0.00 12.68 0.13 1.53 0.29

NT NT N/A N/A N/A N/A

N/A N/A 0.30 N/A N/A N/A -2.15

NT NT 0.50 NT 1.8 NT NT 16.40 3.79 NT 552.2 0.50 19.52 1.33

SECURITY

PRICE (=N=)

FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC 2.10 GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER PLC 65.00 MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. 2.03 NEIMETH INT PHARM PLC 1.20 NIGERIA-GERMAN CHEMICALS PLC. NT PHARMA-DEKO PLC. NT ICT Computer Based Systems COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SLN PLC 0.60 Computers and Peripherals OMATEK VENTURES PLC NT Electronic Communications Services MTECH COMMUNICATIONS PLC NT IT Services NCR (NIGERIA) PLC. 16.83 TRIPPLE GEE AND COMPANY PLC. NT Processing Systems CHAMS PLC NT E-TRANZACT INTERNATIONAL PLC 3.13 Telecommunications Carriers STARCOMMS PLC NT Telecommunications Services IHS NIGERIA PLC PREF SHARES NT IHS PLC 2.41 MTI PLC NT INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials AFRICAN PAINTS (NIGERIA) PLC. NT ASHAKA CEM PLC 21.17 BERGER PAINTS PLC 8.40 CAP PLC 48.99 CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC 9.75 DANGOTE CEMENT PLC 190.00 DN MEYER PLC. 1.88 FIRST ALUMINIUM NIGERIA PLC 0.50 IPWA PLC 0.81 LAFARGE WAPCO PLC. 98.50 PAINTS & COATINGS MANFACT.PLC 2.09 PORTLAND PAINTS & PRDT NIG. PLC 5.00 PREMIER PAINTS PLC. NT Electronic and Electrical Products AUSTIN LAZ & COMPANY PLC NT CUTIX PLC. 1.81 NIGERIAN WIRE AND CABLE PLC. NT NIGERIAN WIRE IND. PLC NT Packaging/Containers ABPLAST PRODUCTS PLC. NT AVON CROWNCAPS & CONTAINERS NT BETA GLASS CO PLC. NT GREIF NIGERIA PLC NT NIG. BAGS MANFACT. COY PLC NT POLY PRODUCTS (NIG) PLC. NT W A GLASS IND. PLC. NT Tools and Machinery NIGERIAN ROPES PLC NT STOKVIS NIG PLC. NT NATURAL RESOURCES Chemicals B.O.C. GASES PLC. NT Metals ALUMACO PLC NT ALUMINIUM EXTRUSION IND. PLC. NT MINING SERVICES MULTIVERSE PLC 0.50 Paper/Forest Products HALLMARK PAPER PRODUCTS PLC. NT THOMAS WYATT NIG. PLC. NT OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SER. PLC 0.50 Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC 11.30 Petroleum &Petroleum Products Distributors AFROIL PLC NT BECO PETROLEUM PRODUCT PLC NT CONOIL PLC 49.15 ETERNA PLC. 2.66 FORTE OIL PLC. 72.98 MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. 116.05 MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. 37.56 TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. 167.00 SERVICES Advertising AFROMEDIA PLC NT Apparel Retailers LENNARDS (NIG) PLC. NT Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. 1.40 Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC 4.40 TRANS-NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC. 1.32 Employment Solutions C & I LEASING PLC. NT Hospitality TANTALIZERS PLC NT Hotels/Lodging CAPITAL HOTEL PLC 4.55 IKEJA HOTEL PLC 0.75 TOURIST COMPANY OF NIGERIA PLC. NT TRANSNATIONAL CORP. OF NIG.PLC NT Media/Entertainment DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC 0.50 Printing/Publishing ACADEMY PRESS PLC. NT LEARN AFRICA PLC 1.77 STUDIO PRESS (NIG) PLC. NT UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. 3.80 Road Transportation ABC TRANSPORT PLCPLC 0.76 Specialty INTERLINKED TECHNOLOGIES PLC NT SECURE ELECTRONIC TECH.PLC NT Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC 3.51 NIG. AVIATION HANDLING COY PLC 6.18 ASeM CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Property Management SMART PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC NT CONSUMER GOODS Food Products MCNICHOLS PLC NT Personal/Household Products ROKANA INDUSTRIES PLC. NT HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals AFRIK PHARMACEUTICALS PLC. NT INDUSTRIAL GOODS Electronic and Electrical Products NT ADSWITCH PLC. NT NATURAL RESOURCES Metals W.A. ALUM. PRODUCTS PLC. NT OIL AND GAS Petroleum & Petroleum Products Distributors ANINO INTERNATIONAL PLC. NT CAPITAL OIL PLC NT RAK UNITY PET. COMP. PLC. NT UNION VENTURES & PET. PLC NT SERVICES Apparel Retailers UDEOFSON GARMENT FACT. NIG PLC NT Food/Drug Retailers and Wholesalers NT JULI PLC. NT ETF’s Sector ETF NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND NT

QUANTITY

52 WK HIGH

52 WK LOW

SHARES OUTSTANDING

EPS

5,278,019 46,875 286,366 88,800 100 20,000

2.50 69.00 3.38 1.76 8.59 3.50

0.61 18.97 1.23 0.58 7.36 1.83

1,500,000,000 956,701,192 980,000,000 1,925,717,268 153,786,012 100,000,000

0.24 3.07 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.00

-2.33 0.00 -6.45 3.45 N/A N/A

2.15 65.00 2.17 1.16 NT NT

2,053,350

0.96

0.50

2,960,000,000

0.11

0.00

0.66

1,000

0.50

0.50

2,941,789,472

0.00

N/A

NT

NT

0.91

0.91

4,966,666,668

0.00

N/A

NT

2,000 5,000

18.70 2.94

13.12 2.07

108,000,000 492,825,600

0.00 0.03

N/A N/A

16.83 2.07

NT 1,000

0.50 4.97

0.50 4.04

4,620,600,000 4,200,000,000

0.04 0.04

N/A N/A

NT NT

4,000

1.47

0.50

6,878,478,096

0.00

N/A

0.50

NT 15,450 NT

2.25 3.79 0.50

0.00 1.70 0.50

4,400,000,000 4,893,594,400

0.00 0.00 0.00

N/A N/A N/A

NT 2.53 NT

2,500 343,442 249,766 355,559 423,234 6,845 250 2,000 100,000 147,743 108,000 386,857 NT

2.86 29.98 12.20 67.50 12.99 210.01 3.54 0.75 1.34 110.00 2.41 7.22 10.93

2.86 8.01 6.82 13.78 4.00 102.00 0.50 0.50 0.50 39.80 0.50 2.27 10.93

260,000,000 2,239,453,125 217,367,585 560,000,000 1,241,548,285 15,494,019,668 242,908,200 2,109,928,275 513,696,000 3,001,600,004 792,914,256 400,000,000 75,000,000

0.07 0.80 0.91 1.66 1.12 5.77 0.06 0.00 0.00 6.83 0.36 0.43 0.00

N/A -7.96 5.66 26.10 2.63 2.04 N/A N/A N/A -0.51 N/A N/A N/A

NT 23.00 7.95 38.85 9.50 186.20 1.81 NT 0.89 99.00 2.20 5.10 NT

NT 134,000 840 NT

2.00 2.39 0.73 2.58

2.00 1.20 0.50 2.58

510,396,608 2,220,000,000 15,000,000

0.05 0.19 0.00 0.00

N/A -4.74 N/A N/A

NT 1.90 0.50 NT

NT 659 366 NT NT NT NT

3.98 5.94 13.18 15.03 3.60 1.86 0.63

3.98 1.71 9.04 13.28 1.60 1.05 0.63

N/A N/A

42,640,000 6,215,000,000 240,000,000 199,066,550

0.00 0.00 3.23 0.90 0.24 0.22 0.00

N/A #VALUE! N/A N/A

NT NT 12.50 NT NT NT NT

NT NT

8.69 0.14

8.26 0.14

265,409,280 2,918,000

0.00 0.00

N/A N/A

NT NT

25,000,000 683,974,528

MOV. (%)

Previous

7,478

9.35

5.68

393,120,000

0.76

#VALUE!

6.35

NT NT

7.75 12.39

7.75 10.55

75,600,000 100,000,000

0.00 0.24

N/A N/A

NT NT

1,000

0.50

0.50

4,058,989,226

0.01

N/A

0.50

NT 43,412

3.22 1.38

3.22 0.67

50,000,000 220,000,000

0.04 0.00

N/A N/A

NT 0.87

279,412

1.02

0.50

6,262,701,716

0.00

0.00

0.50

8,489,222

24.80

9.32

2,262,711,568

1.24

5.61

10.70

NT 29,000 264,923 743,956 472,183 37,772 165,712 26,172

20.71 0.70 33.67 4.87 43.95 146.00 59.00 190.01

20.71 0.50 16.96 1.32 7.73 106.00 16.20 118.75

125,487,475 3,716,976,579 693,952,117 1,249,162,828 1,080,280,628 300,496,051 253,988,672 339,521,837

0.00 0.00 2.69 0.61 1.43 9.93 1.04 12.91

N/A N/A 40.47 0.38 13.50 -1.65 N/A 0.00

NT NT 34.99 2.65 64.30 118.00 36.14 167.00

4,035,497,307

0.00

N/A

NT

0

N/A

NT

100

0.72

0.50

NT

3.48

3.48

107,118

2.45

1.00

980,294,400

0.00

6.06

1.32

414,606 13,520

5.10 3.45

2.19 0.73

589,496,310 198,819,763

0.52 0.00

-5.98 N/A

4.68 1.26

22,000

1.64

0.85

865,808,912

0.00

N/A

NT

2,000

0.75

0.50

3,211,627,907

0.00

N/A

NT

1,000 12,650 NT NT

8.00 1.72 4.53 1.95

3.00 0.64 4.08 0.50

1,548,780,000 2,078,796,396 1,772,884,297 25,813,998,283

0.23 0.00 0.00 0.22

N/A 7.14 N/A #VALUE!

NT 0.70 NT NT

2,000

0.51

0.50

8,000,000,000

0.43

N/A

NT

21,524 100,100 100 10,563

4.10 3.09 2.78 5.77

1.57 1.39 2.52 3.00

403,200,000 771,450,000 425,641,111

0.22 0.00 0.00 0.61

N/A N/A N/A 0.00

2.07 1.65 NT 3.80

347,490

1.29

0.50

1,507,000,000

0.21

N/A

0.77

NT NT

5.15 1.88

4.90 0.80

236,699,511 5,631,539,736

0.00 0.00

N/A N/A

NT NT

245,123 841,982

5.90 8.81

1.27 5.08

634,000,000 1,230,468,750

0.50 0.43

N/A 0.00

3.69 6.18

NT

1.43

1.04

45,000,000

0.12

N/A

NT

NT

1.02

1.02

201,885,335

0.00

N/A

NT

NT

0.60

0.60

30,000,000

0.00

N/A

NT

NT

0.50

0.50

24,898,850

0.00

N/A

NT

NT NT

1.88

1.63

125,005,250

0.00

N/A

NT NT

NT

0.50

0.50

6,650,000

0.00

N/A

NT

NT 5,100 NT NT

0.21 0.50 0.31 0.63

0.21 0.50 0.31 0.63

24,200,000 5,857,500,000 15,000,000 98,600,000

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

N/A N/A N/A N/A

NT 0.50 NT NT

NT NT NT

0.50

0.50

20,000,000

0.00

N/A

3.05

2.76

194,700,000

0.00

N/A

NT NT NT

260

2,706

2,003

#VALUE!

2,026.00

40

Monday, October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

41

Law & Justice nationalmirrorlaw@yahoo.com

“The law is in the breast of the judge and he can make use of it any time.”RETIRED JUSTICE OF SUPREME COURT, JUSTICE NIKI TOBI.

UN 2013 review: Human rights abuses put Nigeria on the spot Why Nigerian lawyers are not top players in global arena -Daramola 42 UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon

Adoke (SAN)

Western region crisis: How Awolowo, Akintola parted ways 45

Police charge man for raping 70-yr-old mother 46

On Tuesday, October 22, 2013, Nigeria faced a Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations, which sought to highlight her human rights record for the past four years. The areas where the country encountered problems are mainly her stance on death penalty, the violations of the rights of lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) torture, extra-judicial trials and killings. The Assistant Head of the Judiciary Desk, KAYODE KETEFE, beams a searchlight on Nigeria in these areas.

T

he Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke SAN, had his hands full last Tuesday as Nigeria gave accounts of her human rights observances in the once-ina-four-year Universal Periodic Report of the United Nations at the 17th UPR Session which held in Geneva, Switzerland . The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all UN member states. The UPR is a state-focused process under the auspices of the UN’s Human Rights Council, which provides the opportunity for each state to declare what actions it has taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to fulfill their human rights obligations. As one of the main features of the Council, the UPR is designed to ensure equal treatment for every country when their human rights situations are assessed.

This unique process was created through the UN General Assembly on March 15, 2006 by resolution 60/251,

which is the same instrument which established the Human Rights Council.

So successful has been this initiative that by October 2011, there had been a review of the human rights records of all 193 member states of the United Nations.

Nigeria was among some 15 Nations being reviewed in this 17th UPR session. According to the United Nations time table of UPR 2013, the following countries Saudi Arabia, Senegal, China, Nigeria (reviewed on Tuesday October 22) Mexico, Mauritius Jordan,

BY

OCTOBER 2011,

THERE HAD BEEN A REVIEW OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS RECORDS OF ALL

193 MEMBER STATES OF THE UNITED NATIONS.

Malaysia and Central Africa Republic, were reviewed between Monday October 21 to Friday October 25, while another set of countries, namely, Monaco, Belize, Chad, Israel, Congo, and Malta will be reviewed from Monday October 28 to Friday November 1, 2013.

Among governments of foreign countries that beamed searchlight on Nigeria’s human rights record and put her to task on diverse areas it could improve performances during her review last Tuesday were the government of United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherland.

Both the United Kindom and the United States which engaged Nigeria on many areas of her human rights record at the forum expressed dissatisfaction with the country. The United Kingdom accused Nigeria of condoning torture and extra-judicial killings in contravention of her obligations as member of the United Nations. UK took a swipe at Nigeria on the reports of torture and extrajudicial killings of citizens allegedly committed by Nigerian security forces, most notably, the police.

The US also condemned the Nigerian stance on the rights of the LGBT people it said “The Government of the United States condemns Boko Haram attack on innocent Nigerians.But we are disappointed by the Nigerian government statement to our first review recommendation that LGBT persons are not visible in Nigeria.”

While denying the factuality of the growing incidence of extra-judicial killings, Adoke however pointed out that Nigeria has no apology for death penalty as it formed part of the Nigerian law till date. The AG also said the CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

42

Law & Justice

Monday, October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Why Nigerian lawyers are not top Olu Daramola, SAN was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1993. After a brief stint with Tayo Oyetibo & Co, he joined the law firm of Afe Babalola in November 1994.

He holds a Masters Degree in Law from Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife. An Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (U.K.) and the Chartered Institute of Taxation, Nigeria, Daramola was admitted into the inner bar in 2008.

In this interview with WALE IGBINTADE, he speaks on maritime practice in Nigeria and other aspects of Nigerian law. Excerpts You read political science before delving into law; do you support the proposition that law should be a post-graduate study?

I do not support the clamour, because it will raise the cost of legal education beyond the reach of brilliant but indigent students who are interested in the profession. It is not in the interest of the society to make the legal profession an exclusive preserve of the rich. There is no doubt that making law a post graduate study will improve the quality of lawyers but we must balance that with the fact that it will close the door against many who cannot afford the cost. I did not choose to read political science before studying law deliberately. I wanted to study law from the beginning but I was offered admission for political science because I did not meet the cut-off point. I was confronted with a situation where I could not get what I wanted. I had no choice than to accept what was available in the hope that I could come back to study law.

Does the fact that you read law as a second degree give you advantage over your colleagues?

I cannot remember any advantage in particular but I must confess that studying political science before law has helped me to see legal issues from different perspectives.

After all, the whole essence of law is the regulation of human conduct.

The International Bar Association (IBA) Conference has just ended in Boston, USA. What impact have Nigerian lawyers made at the conference?

The reason why Nigerian lawyers are not making serious impact in IBA is because most of the delegates don’t participate in committees activities. They only go for the annual conference. The programme for the annual conference is fashioned by the committees. They select the key speakers and decide the topics for discussion. Each committee holds several meetings in a year. Therefore, unless you participate actively in committees ‘ engagements you cannot be selected as a key speaker at the annual conference.

A group recently urged the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to prosecute those who took part in the recent fight at the National Assembly for breach of public peace. Do you think he has the power to do so?

Before a criminal case can be filed, there must be a complainant. Members of parliament enjoy immunity in respect of their activities in parliament but the immunity does not extend to fighting. The AG cannot prosecute the case unless there is a formal complaint from the aggrieved members of the house. If there is a formal complaint there is nothing stopping the A G from going to court.

There is a general disrespect in the international community, especially the United Kingdom, for our maritime administration. Why is this so?

England is the hub of international commercial litiga-

Daramola (SAN)

NO COMMERCIAL PERSON WILL TAKE HIS MATTER INTO A JURISDICTION WHERE IT WILL TAKE ETERNITY TO RESOLVE.

THE CHALLENGE BEFORE US IN NIGERIA IS TO REMOVE

THE CAUSES OF DELAY IN THE

ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE. tion and arbitration. The reason is simple. Many people around the world go to London to settle their commercial disputes because England has facilities for quick and efficient resolution of disputes. In Nigeria, we have good Judges but the reason why many will not come to Nigeria to resolve their disputes is because of inordinate delay in the dispensation of justice. No commercial man would like to spend ten years pursuing a case that should not take more than six months. You may then ask, why can’t such people do arbitration in Nigeria? The reason again is that arbitration being a private dispute resolution mechanism needs the support of the court in many areas like appointment of arbitrators, where the parties are not cooperating in making the appointment, challenge of arbitrators, summoning witnesses who may not want to appear etc.

I was involved in an arbitration that lasted over ten years. After the first sitting, the respondent challenged the composition of the arbitral panel even though it appointed one of the three arbitrators. The challenge was

refused and he proceeded to court and sought an order of court for stay of proceedings. The sitting of the arbitrators had to be postponed to await the decision of court in the matter. It took four years for the matter to be disposed.

The arbitration resumed immediately and again he filed another suit which took five years in court. The arbitration again was suspended for the five years. We eventually concluded the arbitration in 2010 and an award was rendered. The respondent again filed a suit to challenge the award and it was only after the suit was dismissed that they entered into negotiation with us. We then filed the terms of settlement in court and adopted it as the judgment of the court. As I am talking to you, my clients are yet to reap the benefit of the judgment as the respondent for no just cause has refused to pay. We are again in court seeking to enforce the consent judgment. You will agree with me that no commercial person, if he has other options, will want to take his matter into a jurisdiction where it will take eternity to resolve. The challenge before us in Nigeria is to remove the causes of delay in the administration of justice.

The leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) recently protested the removal of the minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list. The NLC wanted it on concurrent list, what’s your take on this.

I am in support of labour. While no specific wage should be imposed on the states and private employers, I believe there should be a minimum wage below which no employer, be it Federal, State, Local Government or private establishments should not go. This minimum wage should be on the exclusive legislative list. A state or any other employer may decide to pay more but it should not be allowed to pay less. The Federal Government owes it a duty to guarantee minimum standard when it comes to

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Law & Justice

Monday, October 28, 2013

43

players in global arena-Daramola different areas of law within the same firm.

Are you saying a one-man firm cannot specialise?

When you operate a one-man firm or where you have few hands, you will find it difficult to specialise. This explains why Nigerian lawyers are not top players in the global arena. I am sure if a lawyer calls himself a general legal practitioner in England nobody will patronise him because they would not see him as a serious lawyer. The time has come when a lawyer should develop himself in an area of law and acquire expertise rather than jumping from election petition to matrimonial causes.

the welfare of workers.

How do you see the manner in which the issue of child marriage was handled by the Senate?

Although the Senate has protested that it did not legalise child marriage but I believe that is what they have done by defining an adult to include any person who has married. That means if you forced a girl of 13 year-old to marry you, such a girl is an adult. This is unfortunate. This is contrary to the law that a girl below 16 years of age cannot give consent to sexual intercourse. What the Senate is trying to do is to legalise illegality. This raises a serious moral question.

Some have alleged that there are sacred cows in the way the CJN is carrying out discipline of judges. What is your view on this?

Since I am not a member of the National Judicial Council, I am not in a position to answer that question. However, I must say that the CJN has done well in that regard.

I do not think that there is a deliberate policy to treat some judicial officers as sacred cows.

As a senior member of the Bar, how would you assess the standard of the legal profession in Nigeria?

The standard of legal practice in Nigeria is very good and indeed comparable with what obtains in the Western World. The only thing that is just evolving is partnership. In Nigeria, the prevalence of one man firm is the only draw-back in the profession. The reason is that many seniors in the profession do not want to share their income with their juniors and many juniors do not want to be under any person. In this era of globalisation, Nigerians need to tap the benefits of partnership where you have lawyers specialising in

Despite fast-track procedure introduced to speed-up hearing of cases in Lagos courts, cases are still being delayed.

What do you think is responsible for this?

What is responsible for delay in Lagos is the misapplication of the rules with respect to pre-trial conference. It is rather unfortunate that some Judges insist that all cases must go through the pre-trial conference procedure including matters commenced by originating summons or under summary judgment procedure. The rule as to pretrial conference should only apply to cases commenced by writ of summons and which require trial. Apart from this, the other cause of delay is frivolous applications usually filed by lawyers who know that their clients are not likely to win on the merit. Once the application is refused, he proceeds to appeal and then files a motion for stay of proceedings.

There is a need for all the stakeholders that is the judges, lawyers, and litigants to recognise that justice delayed is justice denied. Courts should sit on time and should refuse frivolous applications for adjournment. The government must create enabling environment for the judges to work.

By this, I am referring to regular supply of electricity to the courtrooms, provision of air conditioners in the court rooms, recording facilities and judicial assistants should be appointed to assist judges in conducting research. I believe one of the reasons why Nigeria is not attractive to foreign investors is that they lack faith in our judicial system due to delay. No foreign investor would want to invest his money in a country where it will take up to fifteen years to resolve a commercial dispute in court.

In Singapore, it takes just about six months to conclude the hearing and determination of a case in the high court.

IF A LAWYER CALLS HIMSELF A GENERAL LEGAL PRACTITIONER IN

ENGLAND, NOBODY WILL

PATRONISE HIM BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT SEE HIM AS A SERIOUS LAWYER.

The appeal will also not last for more than six months. If the case turns out to be frivolous, heavy cost is usually awarded. But in Nigeria, a person who owes billions will rush to court knowing that if he eventually loses the case, he will pay little or no cost. One of the reasons why corruption is very rampant in the country is the delay in adjudication of cases. Most of the cases of corruption preferred against governors who served between 1999 and 2007 are still in court. In many, trials have not even commenced.

A former Minister of Education, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, recently alleged that over one trillion naira had been spent on National Assembly members in the last eight years.

What is your take on this?

We are running a very expensive government. The creation of 36 States has not helped matter. Most of the revenue accruing to the federal, state and local governments is used to pay government officials leaving little or nothing for development. There is no reason why legislators should not be engaged on part-time so that they only meet to pass laws and then go back to their different engagements to earn their living. The unfortunate thing in Nigeria is that it is the people that are serving their leaders and not the other way round. This is an anomaly that needs to be addressed.

Some of your colleagues have called for revocation of Land Use Act, Are you in support?

It is despicable for government to acquire land from landowners under the pretext that it would be used for public interest, only for the same land to be allotted to firms where the governor has his interest.

He explained that the attitude impoverishes the poor in the sense that government pays compensation on lands where there are developments such as structures or economic trees. It is assumed that the land belongs to government to be used for the benefit of everybody. So, the only compensation you are being paid is in respect of development of the land, like you have planted something on it and it needs to be uprooted or buildings. So, there is serious abuse. Government at various levels now introduces all manner of levies. One of them is the governor’s consent levy where you pay as high as 20 or 25 per cent of the value of the land if you want to transfer. If it is an area where government has not done anything and you want to sell your own land, government now says you must pay 20 per cent consent fee just because Section 22 of the law says you must seek the consent of the governor before you can alienate your land�, What role should lawyers play in creating a better Nigeria, or more specifically, a corruption- free Nigeria?

Honestly, there is very little lawyers can do to stem the tide of corruption in Nigeria. Mind you, a lawyer is a professional plying his trade to make a living. Corruption affects all strata of the society and there is very little lawyers alone can do to stem the tide. You need political will to fight corruption. I doubt if you can point to any country in the world where lawyers alone stopped corruption. What lawyers can do is to aid the government in the fight by supporting measures put in place to attack the menace.

I am aware that many lawyers have been involved in campaigns against corruption but unless the government takes the battle seriously, nothing can be achieved.

Imagine a school where the principal and most of the senior teachers are very corrupt, one teacher shouting against corruption in that school cannot achieve anything. He may even be framed up and victimised. If you have a government that has zero tolerance for corruption, everybody would sit up and toe the line including public servants, lawyers, doctors, engineers and so on.

Do you support the suggestion that retired judges should handle election petitions?

I am firmly in support of that. At least it will assist in decongesting the courts.

44

Law & Justice

Monday, October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘There are six issues Nigeria must address’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41 nation has no intention of condoning same sex marriage since, he stressed, the practice is strange to the culture of the people, hence its ban by the National Assembly.

In its statement of Nigeria UPR 2013, the globally acclaimed non-governmental organisation on human rights, Human Rights Watch, identified six areas where it adjudged the country to have been found wanting. These areas are Boko Haram violence, sexual orientation and gender identity, government corruption, security force abuses and inter-communal violence. In its summary, HRW noted, inter alia, “The failure of Nigeria’s government to address deeply entrenched human rights problems, such as widespread poverty, government corruption, police abuse, and longstanding impunity for a wide range of crimes has created fertile ground for violent militancy throughout the country.

“In the north, a deadly campaign of violence carried out by a militant Islamist group, commonly known as Boko Haram, and abuses by government security forces have led to spiraling violence.

More than 3,000 people have been killed since major clashes between the group and government security forces began in July 2009.

“Human Rights Watch estimates that more than 18,000 people in Nigeria have died in inter-communal, political, and sectarian violence, since the end of military rule in 1999. In the restive “Middle Belt” region in central Nigeria, intercommunal violence has claimed the lives of several thousand people since 2008 alone.”

In the southern Niger Delta, much of the nation’s tremendous oil wealth continues to be siphoned off and mismanaged by the ruling elite. Many of the corruption cases against senior political figures have remained stalled for years in the courts, despite a measure of inde-

Wali (SAN)

Dr. Layonu

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH ESTIMATES THAT MORE THAN 18,000 PEOPLE IN NIGERIA HAVE DIED IN INTER-COMMUNAL, POLITICAL, AND SECTARIAN VIOLENCE, SINCE THE END OF MILITARY RULE pendence by Nigeria’s judiciary and the country’s active media and civil society sector. Nigeria’s police continue to be implicated in corruption and abuses, but rarely has anyone been held accountable. The prevailing climate of impunity in Nigeria remains the biggest single obstacle to ending human rights violations in the country.”

Since the issue of death penalty top the list of Nigeria’s areas of human rights failure identified in the UPR 2013, National Mirror, sought the opinion of some senior lawyers on this. Not many of them however saw death penalty delivered by a court of competent jurisdiction and carried our according to law as human rights violation.

Court gives NPC nod to take over First Guarantee’ assets WALE IGBINTADE

T

he Court of Appeal, Lagos Division has given the National Pension Commission (NPC) the go-ahead to takeover the management and assets of First Guarantee Pension limited.

The appellate court in its judgment delivered by Justice, Justice Chima Centus Nweze also set aside the ruling of a Federal High Court delivered by Justice Okon Abang restraining the NPC from doing so.

Justice Abang had in his ruling delivered on November 28, 2011 restrained National Pension Commission and the Attorney-General of the Federation from dealing with the assets of First Guarantee Pension limited in order to preserve the res (subject matter) pending determination of the appeal filed by the pension firm (FGP).

But, the appellate court in its judgement allowed the appeal filed by the National Pension Commission and set aside the injunctive order of the lower court.

Delivering the lead judgement, Justice Nweze held that the trial judge did not exercise his discretion in accordance with

any relevant rules of law or practice and according to rule of reason and justice.

Subsequently, Justice Nweze held ‘’we are not satisfied that the lower court proceeded on the proper principles in considering the effect the grant of this application would occasion on the appellant’s statutory obligations as a supervisory agency’’ The court further held that the lower court in granting the injunction pending appeal in favour of the 1st respondent (First Guarantee Pension limited), failed to evenly weigh the balance of convenience between the appellant and the first respondent.

The facts of the suit are that First Guarantee Pension limited had by an ex parte application prayed the lower court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining National Pension Commission from implementing directives contained in letters with ref. no.

PENCOM/INSP/SUR/FIRST GUARANTEE/11/23 dated August 12, 2011 and Target Examination Report dated March 22, 2011.

On September 6, 2011, the lower court granted all the reliefs sought by the 1st respondent and also granted respondent’s application for leave to apply for judicial review.

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Okey Wali, SAN, said “Some believe that people who have taken the lives of other people should pay with their own lives while others believe that the world has moved on from a stage when every evil has to be recompensed with evil. But it is noteworthy that some people, due to a combination of factors, may be convicted when they are not guilty.

“Agreed that the first instinct should be that he that killed should be killed, but if you appreciate the fact that sometimes some people get wrongly convicted, then you would be more reluctant in advocating for capital punishment. There is no reversal of death penalty once carried

out, it is final!”

A senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Abiodun Layonu, said “I think some crimes are cruel enough to deserve death penalty. Some countries have abolished it, some have not. Generally, for murder cases I do not agree that the punishment should be death penalty. I think there should be an amendment to the law in such a way that judges will have discretion. Or maybe a committee should be set up after conviction to make a recommendation whether a particular case deserved death penalty or otherwise. I think we have come to a stage where there should be some discretions either given to the judge or to some sort of committee to determine whether a death penalty should be imposed or not.”

Another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Assam Assam, said “Well, I believe in death penalty, I believe in it. A man who kills another does not deserve to live because I wonder what he would tell the family of the people whose bread winner you have killed, it’s not the business of an eye for an eye, I believe that a murderer deserves to be killed by the state so that he would not murder again and to think that anybody who murders in this country or in our traditional system would come back to that same society and live a normal life is not speaking the truth. “ Such offences as armed robbery in my state, Akwa-Ibom State now we have enacted a law making kidnapping a capital offence because of the nature, the nature of the offence and the circumstance and the need to stamp this thing out, I know that maybe it is not helping in the immediate turn but certainly it makes it possible for a man who stands to gain from armed robbery or kidnapping or murder to ask himself whether it was worth it after all. I believe in capital punishment, I believe that it is a crime against the state for a man to kill another and the person should be so punished, that’s my view.”

LEGAL TIPS Sale of Goods Under the Sale of Goods Act ( or Law) the goods you buy must be as described, of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose.

Fit for purpose means both their everyday purpose, and also any specific purpose that you agreed with the seller (for example, if you specifically asked for a printer that would be compatible with your computer) Goods sold must also match any sample you were shown in-store, or any description in a brochure or any sample sent to you before the bulk arrive.

seller of the defect(s) in the goods which make it unsuitable for your use upon delivery or as soon as you are aware. If discovered upon delivery you have the right to rescind the contract by not accepting the goods.

If you find that the goods are not fit for the purpose or otherwise unsatisfactory, you have the right to rescind the contract and return the goods to the supplier/seller

If you r cl aim u n de r th e Sal e of Goods A ct e n ds u p in cou r t, you may h ave to prove th at th e f au l t w as pre se n t wh e n you bou g h t th e ite m an d n ot th rou g h you r ow n f au l t e ith e r by mish an dl in g or accide n t.

You should inform the supplier/

If you keep the good without returning it or informing the supplier of the defect you may be assumed to have waived you right after a reasonable time elapses.

What amount to a resoanble time depends on the circumstances of each case.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Law & Justice

Monday, October 28, 2013

45

Western region crisis: How Awolowo, Akintola parted ways Fifty one years ago, the Action Group (AG) leadership was embroiled in a political crisis that culminated in the removal of Chief Ladoke Akintola, as the Premier of the Western Region. This resulted in fierce legal battles among the AG leaders at the law court and later, the Privy Council. Head, Judiciary, highlights the battles.

THE THEN GOVERNOR OF THE WESTERN REGION, THE OONI OF IFE, SIR ADESOJI ADEREMI DEMANDED AKINTOLA’S RESIGNATION AS

PREMIER AND NAMED ALHAJI DAUDA ADEGBENRO AS HIS SUCCESSOR.

FAMOUS CASES

M

any of the standard biographies of Nigerian leaders and journalistic accounts have never minced words that Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola were close allies and promoters of the AG. Shortly after the country’s independence, the AG’s control of the Western Region was weakened and there was an imminent collapse of the party structure because of divisions within the party that reflected cleavages within the Yoruba society.

The leadership of the AG , which formed the official opposition in the federal parliament, split in May 1962 as a result of a rift between the party’s leader, Chief Awolowo and his erstwhile deputy and Premier of Western Nigeria, Chief Akintola.

Various historical accounts abound on the circumstances that led to the rift between the two political leaders. While some historians claimed that the genesis of the political crisis in Western Nigeria began with the sacking of Chief J.F Odunjo as the Chairman, Western Region Marketing Board by Akintola over inter- family squabbles, others attributed the off-shoot of the crisis to hard-line stance of the AG leaders over differences that could amicably be resolved within the party.

According to a publication of the Human Rights Law Service (HURILAWS) “Managing Election Conflicts in Nigeria”, the AG crisis of 1962 arose primarily from disagreement over matters of ideology between Chief Awolowo, the party’s leader and Chief S.L Akintola, his deputy. Akintola was expelled for anti-party activities, among other reasons, and he went on to form the United Peoples’ Party (UPP).

“The UPP and some members of NCNC and the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) formed an alliance, which controlled the government of the Western Region until the Western Regional elections of 1965.”

Prof. John.N. Paden in his book “Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto- Values and Leadership in Nigeria’’, said ‘the key leaders of Northern Peoples’ Congress (NPC) held secret talks with the Yoruba. Some of these meetings had actually begun in 196162, and Awolowo and the Sardauna met casually on a few occasions and agreed to hold meetings. But Awolowo seemed more interested in documenting the discussions and the agreements for future use. The NPC decided to try Akintola”.

“The NPC came to regard Awolowo as the stumbling block to a union between the Yoruba and the North. Akintola was more trustworthy than Awolowo. The thinking was that later they might form one single party with Akintola.”

Awolowo

Akintola

Another account in an article titled “Nigeria Politics in the Crisis Years” obtained from the website of the Library of Congress Country Studies, states that “Awolowo favoured the adoption of democratic socialism as party policy, following the lead of Kwame Nkrumah’s regime in Ghana. This radical ideology that Awolowo expressed was seen as a bid to make the AG an interregional party that drew support across the country from educated younger voters. ‘‘Akintola, in reaction, attempted to retain the support of conservative party elements. He called for better relations with the Northern Peoples’ Congress (NPC) and an all party federal coalition that would remove the AG from opposition and give its

leaders greater access to power’’.

Awolowo’s majority expelled Akintola from the party. The then Governor of the Western Region, the Ooni of Ife, Sir Adesoji Aderemi demanded Akintola’s resignation as Premier and named Alhaji Dauda Adegbenro as his successor. Crisis erupted in the Western Nigeria and this earned the region the appellation “Wild Wild West.”

This action resulted in some legal battles as Akintola challenged his removal as the Premier of the region. The series of cases became popularly known and cited as Akintola-vs- Aderemi & Adegbenro (1962) 1 All. NLR. 442, Adegbenro –vs-Akintola & Aderemi (1962) 1 All NLR 465 and Adegbenro-vs- Akintola (1963) All NLR 305.

In Adegbenro- vs- Akintola in May 1962, for instance, the issue tried by the court was the removal of Akintola as the Premier of Western Nigeria.

Specifically, Sir Aderemi, had removed Chief Akintola from the office of Premier, and appointed Alhaji Dauda Adegbenro as the Premier. Akintola’s supporters went wild and unleashed violence in the region while supporters of Awolowo reportedly retaliated.

Akintola sued Adegbenro and the AG leadership, and the Federal Supreme Court decided that he had been wrongly removed.

Exercising a right conferred by Section 114 of the then Constitution of Western Nigeria, Adegbenro appealed to the Privy Council, where the judgment was upturned in his favour on the interpretation of S. 33 (10) (a) of the constitution.

According to A.D Badaiki (1996) Interpretation of Statutes ‘’This proviso was later amended by the Constitution of Western Nigeria (Amendment) Law, 1963 retroactively in a manner which settled the question of the Premiership in Akintola’s favour, but without mention of the suit or of the costs awarded by the Privy Council to Alhaji Adegbenro.”

On the question whether Adegbenro was entitled to recover costs awarded to him, it was held that it is presumed that the legislature does not desire to confiscate the property or to encroach upon the right of persons, and, as there was no clear implication that the legislature intended not only to settle a political question, but also to deprive Adegbenro of his costs by the Constitution of Western Nigeria (Amendment) Law, 1963, his right to costs remained unaffected.

Akintola then organised the UPP, which pursued a policy of collaboration with the NPC –National Council of Nigeria and Cameroun (NCNC) government in the federal parliament.

Akintola’s removal in May 1962 sparked bloody riot in the Western Region and brought effective government to an end as rival legislators, following the example in the streets, introduced violence to the floor of the regional legislature.

Subsequently, the federal government declared a state of emergency, dissolved the legislature, and appointed a medical practitioner, Dr. Adekoyejo Majekodunmi as an administrator for the Western Region. One of his first acts was to place many AG leaders under house arrest.

46

Law & Justice

Monday, October 28 2013

Police charge man for raping 70-yr-old mother

Foreign

South Africa court rejects appeal on e-tolling

S

outh Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal has rejected an appeal to stop the controversial e-tolling project on highways in the country.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), who filed the appeal, said hours later that it will continue its campaign against the project.

“We firmly believe that public support is mounting and we are strongly confident that people’s power will ultimately convince the government to abandon a policy with is extremely unpopular, unfair and unworkable,” COSATU national spokesperson Patrick Craven said.

The project has been put on hold since April last year due to public opposition, despite that the SA National Roads Agency had raised a two-billion-U.S.-dollar loan for the project, half of which was guaranteed by the government.

Last week, President Jacob Zuma signed into law the Transport Laws and Related Matters Amendment Bill, paving the way for etolling.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

The process of publicizing the tariff structure would kick off this week, to be followed by public comment for a 30-day period, Transport Minister Dipuo Peters said.

But opponents maintain that the project will add to the burdens of the poor, who will be forced to pay to travel on highways previously free of charge.

“Our roads are a public asset, already paid for through taxation and the fuel levy, and motorists should not therefore have to pay again to drive on these public highways,” Craven said.

The government insists that e-tolling would provide the revenue needed to improve the road infrastructure, service debt already incurred for the upgraded freeway network in Gauteng Province and ensure a wellmaintained and upgraded road network into the future.

The South African government said on Monday it is determined to impose the e-tolls by year’s end despite strong public opposition.

President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma

A

INDIA

man has been put on trial by a Delhi court on charges of raping his 70-year-old mother in an inebriated condition and threatening to kill her.

The court said “prima facie there was sufficient evidence” to frame charges of rape and criminal intimidation with the threat to kill a person against accused Pawan, a resident of Patparganj here.

During the arguments on framing of charges, counsel for the accused had said that no external injuries were there on the woman’s body and she had not supported her allegations in her statement recorded before a magistrate.

The court, however, said in none of the judgements cited by the counsel, it was held that the accused can be discharged

on the basis of statement recorded by magistrate under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Act. “I come to the conclusion that prima facie there is sufficient material to frame charge against the accused for the offences punishable under section 376/506(ii) of the IPC as the material on record raise grave suspicion that the accused might have committed the said offences.

“Therefore, charge against the accused for offences punishable under Section 376/506(ii) of the IPC be framed accordingly,” Additional Sessions Judge T R Naval said.

Meanwhile, the man after he pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

The woman had lodged a case against her son at Madhu Vihar police station alleging that on the intervening night of June 5 and 6 this year, he raped

Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh

her and also threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incident to anyone.

When she tried to stop him, he threatened her to keep quiet.

She had told the police that her son had invited his friends to his house to consume liquor with them

USA

Woman loses pregnancy claim case

A

27-year-old woman, Kamila Helmrich who claimed in court she had been sacked after only six weeks in a new job because she was pregnant, has lost her action for damages under the Employment Equality Act Judge Matthew Deery, dismissing Helmrich’s claim also rejected her allegations in the Circuit Civil Court that records of her timekeeping and a warning letter about it had been falsified by her new boss.

Helmrich, of The Richmond, North Brunswick Street, Dublin, unsuccessfully sued Deli Boutique Limited, which trades as Bijou Deli, for up to $38,000 damages for breach of contract in respect of discriminatory treatment.

The judge said company

director Linda Smith had disputed what had been claimed by Ms Helmrich who, she said, had maintained a sustained pattern of late timekeeping of anything from 15 minutes up to an hour and a half.

Ms Smith told the court she had given Ms Helmrich a number of chances to improve her timekeeping at the company’s delicatessen at Highfield Road, Rathgar, Dublin, but to no avail.

Judge Deery said Ms Helmrich had failed to establish she had been dismissed solely on the basis of her pregnancy.

Legal costs were granted against Ms Helmrich.

The judge said she had suffered no loss and had immediately obtained a new job and was still in employment.

President Barack Obama

Ohio Supreme Court vacates death sentence

T

he Ohio Supreme Court again has vacated the death sentence of a Trumbull County woman, saying a trial court did not consider all evidence presented in the case.

BBC report says that it was the second time justices have sent Donna Roberts back to the trial court for resentencing.

“Under the unique circumstances presented here,

It was a smooth presentation –Halimah Ahmed

M

in the night.

When his friends left the house, they both slept and thereafter, he raped her.

When the man went to sleep, she went to her sister’s house and disclosed the incident and reported the matter to police.

y first solo appearance was before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of an Ikeja High court. It is a regular tradition in the law firm I work with that one appears alone in court after one or two appearances with senior counsel.

When I got the file, I studied it thoroughly and practiced my presentation before my colleagues in the office

and also asked them to remark on it when necessary.

The instruction given to me was to move an application for substituted services.

Fortunately, about three to four lawyers moved similar applications before my client’s matter was called in court that day. So other counsel’s presentation shed more light on what and how to move an application of such nature and also boost-

ed my self-confidence.

I was also happy when I discovered that the presiding judge, Justice Taiwo is a female judge. I have always wanted to appear alone before a female judge.

When my matter was called, I announced my appearance, moved the application and the judge thereafter granted my prayers. It was a smooth presentation and memorable experience. Ahmed

we find that the trial court failed to consider relevant mitigating evidence contained in Roberts’s allocution,” wrote Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, who was joined in the decision by Justices Paul Pfeifer, Judith Ann Lanzinger and Judith French.

She added, “On remand, the trial court must consider all the mitigating evidence reflected in the record, including Roberts’s allocution, weigh the aggravating circumstances against the mitigating factors, and file a sentencing opinion that reflects that it has complied with these instructions.

In doing so, the trial court must make an independent determination of whether a death sentence is appropriate and may not give deference to the sentences previously entered.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, October 28, 2013

Law of rape in Nigeria (2) THE ADVOCATE OLUGBEMI FATULA

08037213732 (sms only) E-mail: afribic@yahoo.com

U

nder the Nigerian law a married woman cannot be raped by her husband. The assumption of the Nigerian law is that as long as a husband is married to a woman, he is immune from a charge of rape on her.

This immunity is available to husbands in both statutory marriages and customary marriages. In essence, a husband cannot be convicted of raping his wife. It is presumed that a wife has concurred to have sexual relations with her partner through marriage, and such acquiescence can only be removed or aborted by a separation agreement or divorce. A man retains his right of consortium (union of marriage and its privileges) even if they had a dispute and are living apart. So, a man who has sexual relations with his wife against her will in these circumstances will not be guilty of rape. He is also excused from rape conviction, even if he exercised his conjugal right by reasonable force. The fact that existing rape law allows spousal exclusion makes one wonder who is actually protected?

Although a husband may not be criminally liable for rape, the court recognizes assault in marriages. Thus a man can commit common assault on his wife. Previous court rulings have been silent on the issue of forceful restraint. The court has also ruled that it was illegal for a man to physically restrain his wife in order to have sexual relations with her and that forceful sexual relations with a wife while living apart, without her consent, constitutes an offence of assault on her.

The law of rape only seeks to give protection to a father’s interest in the virginity of his daughter or a husband’s interest in his wife’s fidelity. Thus section 357 of the Criminal Code provides; “Any person who has unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman or

girl without her consent, if the consent is obtained by force or by means or threats or intimidation of any kind or by fear or arm or means of false and fraudulent representations as to the nature of the act, or, in the case of a married woman by personating her husband is guilty of a crime which is called rape” It is clear from this provision that the common law rule that a husband can not rape his wife has been imported into Nigeria. It is presumed that a wife has concurred to having sexual relations with her partner through marriage, and such acquiescence can only be removed or aborted by a separation agreement or divorce. The theory that the husband and wife are one person in law connotes that the very being or legal existence of the woman is suspended during the marriage or at least is incorporated and consolidated into her husband.

We submit that this theory is an attempt to legitimize the propitiation of women through marriage. To state that a husband cannot rape his wife just because she is married to him sound incredible and barbaric.

In England, the definition of the offence of rape was a common law issue until the Sexual Offences (Amendments) Act of 1976 was enacted. Section 1(1) thereof provides that a man commits rape if; “ a) he has unlawful sexual inter course with a woman, who at the time of the intercourse does not consent to it. b) at the time he knows that she does not consent to the intercourse or he is reckless as to whether she consents to it” The 1994 the Criminal Justice and Public Order

Act made it illegal for a man to rape his wife. This transform was achieved simply by removing the word “unlawful” from the statutory definition of rape as it appeared in the Sexual Offences (Amendments) Act of 1976. Thus, prior to the law’s change of heart, there were acts of rape, which could be lawful due to the law’s conflation of a woman’s agreement to the contract of marriage with her irrevocable consent to intercourse. The centuries of protection afforded to a husband is perhaps one of the most recent examples of what feminists have termed a patriarchal legal system. This view of marriage is one, which sees male sexual ownership of the wife as paramount.

It is an absolute property right, which is outside the court’s jurisdiction; its exercise will not be interfered with. Any idea that her free will or capacity for consent could survive this union, which subsumes her, is non-sensical. The sexual offences Act 2003 is the current law applicable to rape in England.

There is need to amend Nigerian Law of rape to reflect modern trend. The law need to change and starts to intervene in marriages even if it involves sexual intercourse. If the law protects the wife from other physical assaults from her husband why should it not protect her when the assault is of a sexual nature. Why should the law turn deaf ear to a wife or a victim’s complain simply because she is married.

It is sad to say that rape stands out as one of the offences with low reporting rate and yet it is committed very often. This is because the rape victim is stigmatized and she will be blamed and questioned as though she actually asked for it. Since rape is a crime that carries a lot of gravity, the rape victims should be encouraged to report and the idea of corroboration should be made insignificant so as to punish the offenders.

Law & Justice

47

EVENT

Justice Bode Rhodes Vivour of the Supreme Court and his wife Doyin at a state dinner held in honour of Vivour and another justice of the Apex court, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun by the Lagos State Government.

Justice Kudirat Kekere Ekun and her husband Akintola

Professor Itse Sagay (SAN) and the Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, Justice Amina Augie

WHY SHOULD THE LAW TURN DEAF EAR TO A WIFE OR A VICTIM’S COMPLAINT SIMPLY BECAUSE SHE IS MARRIED.

Justice Chinwe Iyizoba, JCA and Justice, M Bage, JCA

48

Friday, October 28, 2010

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Community Mirror I am looking forward to a day when all the elderly population will have Social Security in Nigeria. Majority of these elderly ones are weak, some are facing health challenges and need serious support.

EKITI STATE GOVERNOR, KAYODE FAYEMI

NDLEA destroys cannabis farm in Ogun FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

T

he National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in Ogun State has begun the destruction of 30 hectares of weed farms suspected to be cannabis sativa in Odogbolu Local Government Area.

The destruction of the farm inside the Aiyepe forest reserve was carried out by the agency personnel supervised by the state commander, Bala Fagge.

NDLEA, which had acted on a tip-off, also arrested five of the eight suspects

said to own the weed farm.

Speaking at the site, Bala Fagge said his command had declared total war on cannabis cultivation, even as the command got information on the farm through sources.

He said the destruction of the hemp farm was meant to serve as deterrent and make intending growers to keep off Ogun State, as he stressed that the method was to ensure that no illegal drug enters the market.

He said it would be counter-productive if the command had waited for the perpetrators’ to harvest the weed, hence the immediate

destruction of the cannabis.

“This is a system we have developed to follow them to the farm because if we allow the cannabis to enter the society, we will not be able to mop up 40 or 60 per cent of it, but when you go to the farm, you are sure of its total destruction so that no cannabis enters the market”.

Fagge further said that the five suspects arrested were already giving useful information on how to arrest the others at large, stressing that they will be prosecuted in the court.

Fagge solicited the support of the people, espe-

cially land owners, who were advised to scrutinise prospective farmers before renting their land for any purpose.

Speaking, the Supervisor for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Odogbolu Local Government, Mr. Faith Idowu expressed the council’s readiness to support the anti drug agency in stopping the cultivation of cannabis in the state.

Commenting on several efforts to discourage the cultivation and trading in illicit drugs, Fagge said the command has seized more than 3, 560 kg

Mobile phone technicians plying their trade at Shuarin village market in Jigawa State.

PHOTO: NAN

200 arrested for violating sanitation law HAKEEM GBADAMOSI AKURE

A

total of 200 people have been prosecuted for violating the Ondo State sanitation laws,even as the offenders were accused of dumping wastes in canals, roaming the streets during the exercise and violation of other environmental laws.

According to the General Manager of the Waste Management Authority, Mr. Ayo Mesuleya, most of the offenders were arrested for not complying with the sanitation laws, even as he expressed satisfaction

with the turnout during the monthly exercise, but regretted that some people still break the laws with impunity.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Environment, Chief Sola Ebiseeni has issued a two week ultimatum to residents of Akoko Southwest Local Government to remove all domestic animals from the streets or forfeit them to the government.

Ebiseeni, who was speaking at the palace of Olubaka of Oka, Oba Adebori Adeleye expressed disgust at the uncontrolled roaming of domestic animals on the streets.

He said the sight of these animals

at the headquarters of the local government was not befitting and said that environmental task officers have been empowered to impound them.

He also told the Olubaka-in-Council to inform the residents that any house without modern toilets would be sealed and the property converted to public use.

According to him, 80 percent of houses in Oka have no modern toilets for occupants and that government would not fold its arms and allow this to continue,even as he said owners of such houses will be prosecuted.

of cannabis sativa, while 46 farmlands of various sizes were destroyed from January 2013 till date.

He said the command arrested 72 suspects of which 53 have been prosecuted,

while 23 cases are pending in the Federal High Court.

The NDLEA boss said that his officers will go to another undisclosed farm for the destruction of cannabis sativa found there.

Group begs Ondo to release White Paper on Ile-Oluji crisis

A

community development association has appealed to the Ondo State Government to release the White Paper on the enquiry it ordered into the two-day crisis which rocked Ile-Oluji in May this year.

Speaking during the inauguration of national patrons and officers of some chapters of IleOluji National Union, INU, the union’s president-general, Chief Moses Adewakun, said the community was “growing in apprehension on the delay of the white paper on the judicial commission set up by Ondo State Government to find out the immediate and remote course of the May 27 and 28 riots.”

According to Adewakun, the people of Ile-Oluji kingdom appreciated the fact that the state government set up the commission to find out what brought about the crisis, adding that it was so pleasing that the government gave two weeks to the commission

to submit its report and that the deadline was met by the panel.

He said, however, that four months after the report was submitted, the much-expected White Paper was yet to be released.

Adewakun said: “All right thinking people of Ile-Oluji are really worried about this development and are praying that our amiable governor listens to the voice of reason and make hay while the sun shines as this is the only way the Ondo State Government would have the confidence of the people registered in this administration. We implore the Governor to do something very quickly to address this matter.”

The community leader told the gathering that violence never solved any problem.

“Violence complicates issues and this is why I will always counsel that people should invest in the democratic way of getting things done,” he said.

Cleric buries mother amidst encomiums CHARLES OKEKE AWKA

T

he funeral of late Mrs. Veronica Ezeokafor, mother of the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, has taken place at Nanka,Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State amid encomiums.

The church service which

took place at the St Anthony Catholic Church, Nnanka was attended by dignitaries from home and abroad, including politicians.

The governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi described the Late Mrs Ezeokafor as a virtuous woman and urged the Bishop to take consolation in the fact that his mother lived a good life on earth.

Monday October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

49

World News

US, Merkel spy row deepens over

50

Surveillance is a crime and those responsible must be brought to justice. Spying among friends is highly damaging.

–GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, GUIDO WESTERWELLE

Nigerian Embassy formally protests U.S. Senator’s slander PAUL ARHEWE,

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

T

he Nigeria Embassy in Washington has formally protested the slandering of Nigerians as ‘scammers’ by U.S. Senator, Ted Cruz of Texas, last Monday.

Parts of the letter the Embassy sent to the American lawmaker, over the weekend, read: “You are no doubt aware of the reaction of Nigerians and friends of Nigeria to a statement credited to your good self on the above.

“Our immediate reaction at the Embassy is to assume that you were wrongly quoted and that the statement would be denied. We are, however, surprised that this has not happened.

“We have no choice than to assume that the statement was deliberately made by you,” Ade Adefuye, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the U.S., said in a letter addressed to the congressman on Friday.

“For a start, we are shocked that a high profile senator of a country, which is at the forefront in building a peaceful and stable world in which nations and peoples treat each other with mutual respect could be engaged in an act which offends the sensitivities of an important component of his constituency.

“Distinguished senator, I am sure you are sufficiently familiar with the constructive contribu-

Cruz

tions which Nigerians have made to economic, social and political lives of Texas, especially in the Houston area.

“Every country has its own share of law breakers. To use the activities of few as an opportunity to cast aspersions on the integrity of a country and its people is not only unfair, but also excessively offensive.

“You yourself made the point

that the so-called e-mail scammers have disappeared from the scene.

But it is not because they were recruited to work on Obamacare.

“It is because of the successful efforts of our government working through the embassy and the international law enforcing agents to curb the activities of these few law breakers,” the envoy said.

He, however, noted that it was

day it had withdrawn its troops from Kiwanja, accusing the army of sending in fighters in civilian clothing to try to draw U.N. troops into the conflict.

M23 threatened to withdraw its delegation from the stalled peace

talks in Kampala unless there was an immediate end to hostilities. It said it would then launch a large-scale counter-offensive.

Congo’s army, supported by a new U.N. intervention brigade, scored its first victories against

not the practice of any Nigerian diplomatic mission to interfere in the domestic affairs of the host country.

Adefuye added that Nigeria would not sit back, fold its arms while a politician assaulted the integrity of the country and people in the process of appeasing the base instincts of a few misguided elements in his constituency.

“Distinguished senator, the least we can say is that Nigerians feel offended by you. They demand an apology,” Adefuye said.

More Nigerians have expressed displeasure over the remarks made Mr. Cruz.

Cruz was quoted as saying that the new Affordable Care Act exchange Website of the U.S. was being run by Nigerian email scammers.

“You may have noticed that all the Nigerian email scammers have become a lot less active lately,” Mr. Cruz was quoted by U.S. media as saying at a gathering with supporters in Houston.

“They all have been hired to run the Obamacare website.”

Habib Habu, the Consul General, Consulate General of Nigeria in New York, urged the senator to withdraw the comment and offer unreserved apology to Nigeria and Nigerians.

“I would remind Senator Cruz that Nigerians are the most educated immigrant community in the U.S.

UN peacekeeper killed as Congo’s army gains ground against rebels

A

Congolese army officer on the front line said the army took Kiwanja and Kalingera from M23 yesterday, a day after wresting the strategic town of Kibumba near the Rwandan border from the insurgents.

Fighting was continuing at Kiguri, 25 km (15 miles) north of Goma, he said.

The army had also opened a second front to the north of M23 positions and was moving southward to Rutshuru, officers said.

“We are consolidating the zones we have conquered,” army spokesman Colonel Olivier Hamuli told Reuters near the front line. “Very soon we will take Rutshuru. Those who disarm we will accept, the others we will pursue.”

M23 said in a statement yester-

M23 rebels

PHOTO: REUTERS

the rebel movement, which has been fighting for nearly two years, in late August, forcing the rebels away from Goma.

The U.N. brigade has a tough new mandate to eliminate armed groups in the eastern provinces, though it has not been involved in the past three days of fighting.

The support of the brigade and the weakening of the rebels has fuelled belief that Congo’s army - notoriously disorganized, undisciplined and under-supplied could defeat M23.

Army sources told Reuters reporters in Goma that M23 had been weakened by desertions, with some 40 rebels taking advantage of a corridor created by the government troops to allow then to flee rebel lines.

WORLD BULLETIN

Somali police force radio station off air Police in Somalia have stormed the Mogadishu headquarters of the independent radio station, Shabelle, forcing it off the air.

The authorities said they were taking back possession of the building, which belonged to the government.

The radio station is well known for being critical of senior officials.

The move is the latest in a series of attacks on independent journalists by the government and the Islamist group, al-Shabab, media activists say.

The station had previously been ordered to leave the building.

The authorities say the five days’ notice to vacate the building has elapsed and they are enforcing the law - but Radio Shabelle says it is legally occupying the building under an agreement with the previous government.

European, African observers say Madagascar’s poll is credible

Madagascar’s first presidential election since a military-backed coup was free and fair, European Union (EU) and Southern African observers said yesterday, as early results trickled out two days after the poll.

The announcements were a boost for the Indian Ocean island which needs a credible vote to rebuild investors’ confidence and win back aid suspended after dissident troops propelled Andry Rajoelina into power in 2009.

But foreign envoys warned there was still time for an upset. Full results cold take as long as a week to emerge and the two front-runners both anticipate a second-round runoff, prolonging the uncertainty.

“This election has been free, transparent and credible,” the head of the EU observer mission, Maria Muniz de Urquiza, said.

Algeria announces major oil discovery Algeria’s energy minister says a new oil field containing an estimated 1.3 billion barrels has been discovered.

Youcef Yousfi told the state news agency Saturday that the discovery near the large oil fields in the southern region of Hassi Messaoud is one of the most important in the last 20 years.

He added the state oil company, Sonatrach, will rely on unconventional techniques to extract 50 percent of the reserves, including hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking.

The field will be exploited in the next three to four years following the necessary studies, the report added.

Algeria, an energy giant in Africa that already is one of the largest natural gas suppliers to Europe, had been concerned about declining oil reserves.

50

World News

WORLD BULLETIN

UK braces for severe storm, rain

Millions of people in England and Wales have been warned to prepare for heavy rain and hurricane-force winds on Sunday night and Monday.

Gusts of up to 80mph (130km/h) are predicted as the storm hits the South West then moves north and eastwards.

There are fears of flooding and damage. Two train companies have advised against travel and others warn of rush hour disruption.

The Prime Minister has chaired talks about plans to protect the public.

BBC weather forecaster Michael Fish was left famously red-faced when, on the eve of the Great Storm of 1987, he assured the British public there would be no “hurricane”.

Though he failed to predict a ferocious storm was about to turn north and hit the UK, he was correct on the hurricane point.

Britain cannot experience hurricanes - the word is used for tropical cyclones when they form in the Atlantic and north-east Pacific.

Georgian PM’s choice leads in presidential poll Exit polls in Georgia’s presidential election indicated a big win yesterday for the candidate backed by billionaire Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, cementing his control over the U.S.-aligned former Soviet republic.

Giorgi Margvelashvili, a former university rector with limited political experience, should get about 67 percent of the vote, the exit polls predicted.

He will succeed Mikhail Saakashvili, who during nearly a decade in power put Georgia on the path toward democracy, but deeply angered many Georgians with what they saw as the excesses and authoritarian turn of the later years of his presidency.

His party’s candidate, former parliamentary speaker David Bakradze, was in second place with 20 percent. Bakradze, who now heads the opposition in parliament, quickly congratulated Margvelashvili and said he was ready to work together with the prime minister and president.

Colombian rebels free US hostage Colombia’s Farc rebels have freed a US hostage, former Marine Kevin Scott, after several months in captivity.

The American, who had been held in a remote jungle area in the south of the country since June, was released to representatives of the International Red Cross.

He is reported to be in good health.

The leftist Farc has promised to stop kidnapping as a condition for peace talks with the government taking place in Cuba.

Scott was seized by the Farc in a region known as a conflict zone while hiking towards Brazil.

The rebels accused him of being involved in a counter-insurgency operation, in the guise of a security contractor.

The Farc said later they would release him to contribute to a positive mood, and asked for a former senator, Piedad Cordoba, to act as mediator.

Monday October 28, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

US, Merkel spy row deepens over new reports

F

resh reports in German media based on leaked US intelligence documents are prompting damaging new questions about the extent of US surveillance.

Der Spiegel suggests the US has been spying on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone since 2002.

Another report said Obama was told in 2010 about the surveillance and failed to stop it.

The spy row has led to the worst diplomatic crisis between the two countries in living memory.

Leaked documents say a US listening unit was based in its Berlin embassy - and similar operations were replicated in 80 locations around the world. The German interior minister has been quoted as saying such an operation, if confirmed, would be illegal.

On Friday, Germany and France said they wanted the US to sign a no-spy deal by the end of the year.

As well as the bugging of Mrs Merkel’s phone, there are claims the NSA has monitored millions of telephone calls made by German and French citizens.

Der Spiegel claims to have seen secret documents from the National Security Agency which show Mrs Merkel’s number on a list dating from 2002 - three years before she became chancellor.

This might indicate that there was extensive bugging of the phones of prominent people, says the BBC’s Stephen Evans in Ber-

L-R: US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel chatting during a dinner at the Charlottenburg palace in Berlin, on June 19, 2013. Photo: Getty Images

lin.

File photo of U.S. President Barack Obama chatting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after their speeches at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, June 19, 2013. Relations between the two leaders have been warm The nature of the monitoring of Mrs Merkel’s mobile phone is not clear from the files, Der Spiegel said.

For example, it is possible that the chancellor’s conversations were recorded, or that her contacts were simply assessed.

By all accounts, Angela Merkel has been genuinely shocked by the revelations. People close to

her told the BBC she felt personally affronted. When Barack Obama was in Berlin in June, they did seem to get on well. She is not good at hiding her feelings, and the glum scowl she used to reserve for Silvio Berlusconi, for example, was replaced by a beam of warmth. They were tactile he would put his arm round her back; she would clutch his elbow.

Perhaps the sense of betrayal is all the greater because of her background in the East German communist regime where spying was pervasive. She might have expected it from the Stasi but not from her new best friend.

Others might feel betrayed,

Bombs kill 55 in Iraq, as govt seeks U.S. arms

A

dozen bombings in Iraq killed 55 people yesterday as the prime minister prepares to travel to Washington to seek President Barack Obama’s help in confronting a wave of sectarian violence fuelled by Syria’s civil war.

Killings, mostly blamed by the Shi’ite-led government on Sunni Islamists from al Qaeda, are running at daily rates not seen in five years and Nuri al-Maliki will ask Obama on Friday to speed up promised deliveries of drones and F-16 jets that he believes can help staunch the long desert border with Syria.

Iraq’s own security forces, trained and equipped by the U.S. troops who withdrew in late 2011 after a nine-year occupation, have been unable to prevent a surge in violence which has taken the civilian death toll so far this year to about 7,000. Sealing the Syrian border would only address part of the problem.

Yesterday, police reported 11 vehicles blowing up in mainly Shi’ite Muslim areas in and around Baghdad, killing 41 people in an apparently coordinated series of explosions typical of al Qaeda. A further 14 people were killed when a suicide bomber

People standing at the site of a car bomb attack in Baghdad’s al-Shaab district, yesterday. Photo: Reuters

drove up to a line of soldiers waiting to collect their pay from a bank in the northern city of Mosul and detonated his car.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility.

In the worst of the attacks in the Baghdad area, two car bombs exploded moments apart near a busy market in the town of Nahrawan, south of the capital, killing seven.

In Baladiyat, where another car bomb killed three people, a woman living nearby spoke of a terrifying start to the working week: “I was eating my breakfast when a powerful blast shook the building, shattering the window of my apartment and covering the dining table with glass,” said Suad Ahmed.

“I was terrified. I heard women and children shouting next door.

I started to cry. I was afraid of death.”

Violence between the Sunni minority, long dominant in Iraq under Saddam Hussein and before, and majority Shi’ites empowered through elections promoted

by Washington peaked four years after the U.S. invasion; the monitoring group Iraq Body Count recorded over 29,000 civilian deaths in 2006 and 25,000 in 2007.

too. When the original allegations of widespread phone-tapping emerged, some of Chancellor Merkel’s confidantes belittled the problem, saying the criticism of the US had a touch of anti-Americanism and that the surveillance was about terrorism.

These people are now some of the strongest critics of the US. They are also saying that German law has been broken. If the activities of American government employees were investigated by the German authorities, that would make the whole affair harder to damp down. It would be in the system of justice and pursuit would be relentless.

Blasts kill five at Indian opposition rally

C

ampaigning for India’s tight national election turned violent yesterday when a series of blasts ahead of opposition candidate Narendra Modi’s rally in an eastern Indian city left five people dead and 83 wounded.

At least six crude bombs exploded near a public ground in Patna where tens of thousands of people had gathered to hear Modi as he took his campaign to the big heartland state of Bihar for next summer’s national election.

“There was a blast right behind me. I heard people saying that one of the tires of a vehicle has burst,” said a witness. “When I went to the spot, I saw many people lying injured on the ground.”

Television channels showed pictures of shattered windows of buses, smoke billowing and people running in panic.

It was the first outbreak of violence since Modi, the challenger from the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, began an aggressive campaign to oust the ruling Congress-led coalition.

To his critics Modi is a deeply polarizing figure under whose watch Muslims were attacked in deadly rioting in 2002 in the western state of Gujarat which he has governed for three straight terms.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

North

Monday, October 28 , 2013

Four die in Katsina auto crash JAMES DANJUMA KATSINA

N

o fewer than four persons died at the weekend in Katsina State following an auto accident that occurred along the Katsina-Batsari Road.

The crash, which occurred near Sabon Garin Alhaji Yahuza community in Batsari Local Government Area, also left six other people injured.

It was learnt that two of the victims, including a woman, lost their lives at

the accident scene, while the other two died later at the hospital.

The crash involved three vehicles, including an articulated vehicle and a motorcycle.

Confirming the incident, state Sector Com-

mander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Habu Dauda, said the crash involved a Toyota Yaris marked KTN 380 DK and an Eveco Tipper marked LMS 97 XA. Dauda said a man and a woman died on the spot

of the crash, while the two others died the next day while receiving treatment at the General Hospital in the state capital.

He added that six people, three men and three women who sustained various injuries in the

51

crash are currently receiving treatment.

The FRSC boss attributed the crash to reckless driving.

Dauda, however, claimed that no item was recovered from any of the victims.

Borno trains 40 VVF patients in skills acquisition INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

T

he Borno State Government said yesterday that it had trained 40 Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) patients in different skills after they had undergone successful corrective surgery.

The state Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Inna Galadima, stated this at the graduation ceremony of the 40 women in Maiduguri.

“It is my extreme delight to welcome our esteem guests to the graduation ceremony of our dear VVF women trainees,’’ she said.

Galadima said that the women were trained in tailoring and catering services to enable them sustained themselves.

“I am pleased to inform you that the trainees we

are graduating today have learned different income generating skills that will assist them in improving their health condition and social support to their family members, particularly children.

“The trainees have acquired skills in tailoring and catering services which we believe will improve their economic viability.’’

Galadima commended the wife of the state governor, Hajiya Nana Shettima, for her assistance and support to VVF patients.

“The ministry appreciates the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the wife of the state governor for their concern towards VVF patients.

“Last year, Hajiya Shettima paid a visit to the VVF ward at the General Hospital where she donated money to the patients,’’ she said.

Group flays MBF’s position on national conference WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

A

group, the Network of Kogi State Associations, has drummed support for the proposed National Conference and flayed the position of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) on the issue Arising from its meeting on the proposed National Conference in Lokoja, the Kogi State, the group said the unity and co-existence of Nigeria as one entity is not negotiable.

This was contained in a communiqué signed by the group’s president, Dr Goodman Akwu and secretary, Abdullahi Mohammed.

The group lauded President Goodluck Jonathan for the initiating the conference, but advised that the initiative should not

be directly funded by the government for certain reasons.

It stressed that the conference should be totally independent of the government to enable it achieve its goals.

The group said the issue funding had been explained fully its position paper which it said is before the Okurounmu-led committee, adding that it urged the committee to raise fund from individual, groups and cooperate organisations.

The, group, however, flayed the view of the Middle Belt Forum that the conference be shifted till after the 2015 general elections.

According to the group, the Middle Belt’s view was not the true reflection of the people of Kogi State.

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Bauchi State Ministry of Youth Development, Alhaji Mohammed Rabiu; Chairman, Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, Alhaji Iliyasu Gital and Wazirin Maigana, during the Nigeria Youth Organisation’s Zonal Peace Programme for North-East Zone in Bauchi, at the weekend.

PHOTO: NAN

Retirees demand harmonisation of pension in Kogi WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

T

he Kogi State chapter of Retired Health Workers Association of Nigeria has appealed to Governor Idris Wada to harmonise their pension and also pay their gratuity.

The association’s chairman, Dr Julia Ayoade Onimisi-Smith, made the appeal at the weekend in Lokoja, the state capital.

She told journalists that the appeal became necessary because of the association’s members suffering caused by nonreview of their pension

and non-payment of their gratuity.

Onimisi-Smith said that the association had written many letters to the governor, appealing to him to harmonise the monthly pension with those who are just retiring and those still working as required by law and applicable in other states, but to no avail.

She said the government refused to harmonize the pension, stressing that the pensioners kept receiving the same amount of monthly pension since they retired in 1993.

The chairman said: “We have worked for 35 years

before retiring in 1993.

We have not received our gratuity and our monthly pension has remained the same without review.

“Some have died while waiting for their gratuity.

If at all they want to pay the gratuity, they will only pay N100, 000 may be in one year and only God know when another one will come. We are really suffering.”

Onimisi-Smith decried a situation in which someone who just retired in the same position as theirs would be receiving robust monthly pension while they are still being paid peanut.

She said: “The constitu-

tion says pensioners must live a better life by harmonising their pension with those who are just retiring and those still working, but the situation is not the same in Kogi State. Our monthly pension has not been reviewed since 1993.

“We have also appealed through the Nigerian Union of Pensioners and traditional rulers, yet nothing was done. To make thing worse, they only harmonize that of retired permanent secretaries. We are calling on Nigerians to help us appeal to our governor to look into our plight.”

PDP wins Kwara LG poll WOLE ADEDEJI ILORIN

T

he Baraje faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State at the weekend won the 15 chairmanship and 181 councillorship seats in the state.

Chairman of the State Electoral Commission (KWASIEC), Dr. Uthman Ajidagba, who announced the results yesterday, said Mallam Saka Obalana polled 43,748 to win in Asa Local

Government Area; Mohammed Bio scored 76,478 in Baruten while Alhaji Abubakar Tsonga scored 61,291 in Edu Local Government Area.

Mr. Akintoba Fatigun polled 23,888 to win in Ekiti, while Mr. Babatunde Salami won in Ifelodun with 74,299.

Abdullateef Okandeji polled 89,416 in Ilorin East.

In Ilorin South, Usman Ebedi scored 63,267, while Tajudeen Zulu-Oloje polled 129,885 to win in Ilorin West.

The party’s candidate for Irepodun Local Gov-

ernment, Lukman Owolewa, scored 41,187. Moruf Sanni polled 21,144 in Isin Local Government Area.

In Kaiama Local Government Area, Alhassan Bagudu scored 43,747. AbdulGaniyu Ajibola polled 46,493 in Moro Local Government Area.

Aminat Yusuf got 23,957 in Oke Ero, while Jimoh Alao scored 34,783 in Oyun.

Uthman Mohammed polled 36,294 in Patigi.

Meanwhile, the Senator representing Kwara Cen-

tral, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has said that members of the Bamanga Tukur’s faction of PDP are “politicians in Diaspora who should come home to identify with the people.”

He, however, expressed over the smooth conduct of the local government election.

Saraki told journalists that the large turnout of people to participate in the election was a testimony of their love to him as their leader.

52

Monday, October 28, 2013

CHANGE OF NAME tt

OJO: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Ojo Bukola Mojisola now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ayinde Bukola Mojisola. All Former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note

CHANGE OF NAME tt

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME tt

IDIKA/EKWERUKA: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Idika Chinasa Jacinta, same person as Miss Ekweruka Chinasa Jacinta same person as Mrs Nwofia Chinasa Jacinta now wish to be known and address as Mrs Nwachukwu Chinasa Jacinta. All former documents remain valid. General Public to take note

2X1 CLASSIFIED ADVERT SPACE FOR SALE

CHANGE OF NAME tt

t

ISOLA: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Isola Rashidat Bolanle now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Jamal Rashidat Bolanle. All former document remain valid. SUBEB State of Osun and General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME tt

AMEDUS: Formerly known and addressed as Nnadi Amedus Chijioke now wish to be known and addressed As Nnadi Success Chijioke. All former documents remain valid. and General public should take note.

NKACHUKWU: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Nkachukwu Blessing Miracle now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Destiny Blessing Miracle. All former documents remain valid. Fed Poly Oko, NYSC and public note.

OMODU: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Omodu Rosemary Onubuachi now wish to be known as Mrs Weli Rosemary Onubuachi. All former document remains valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME tt

IBIDUNNI: Formerly known and addressed as Mrs Olanrewaju Basirat Ibidunni now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Olanrewaju Basirat Apeke. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME tt MOMOH: Formerly known and addressed as Momoh-Uwajeh Kafilat now wish to be known and addressed as Uwajeh Onwuyali Edith. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

This is to confirm that the bearer of these names Mohammed Abiodun and Mohammed Abiodun Seliat refers to one and the same person. All documents remain valid. The general public should take note

CHANGE OF NAME tt

CHANGE OF NAME tt

EZENYIMULU: Formerly known and address as Miss Ezenyimulu Chibuzor Scholarstica now wish to be known and address as Mrs Onwudinjo Chibuzor Scholarstica. All former documents remain valid. General public to take note.

AUCTION ! AUCTION!! AUCTION!!!

The Nigerian Police Anambra State is calling on the owners of these vehicles,motocycles parked at Awada Police Station for collection before it will be auctioned.the items include, One Scrap Land Rover jeep without engine Reg. No SF 421 KJA,One old Mazda car Reg No. NZM 767 QA,One oxblood M/Benz car Reg No AG 68 KTA and 37 motorcycles.

The Commissioner of police hereby directs the general public to go to Awada Police Station to claim their Vehicles,properties and motorcycles with proof of ownership before it will be auctioned on 7/11/13.

OGUGUO: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Oguguo Nnubia Precious now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Okafor Nnubia Precious. All former document remains valid. General public take note.

BABAKENI: Formerly called Miss Oginni Babakeni Helen now wish to be know and adressed as Miss Oginni Oluwakemi Ileladewa. All former documents remain vallid, Ikinyinwa Community High School Ikinyinwa and general public should please take note

CHANGE OF NAME tt AKINRINDE: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Akinrinde Morolake Omolade now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Onaolapo Morolake Omolade.

All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

WOGU: formerly known ad\nd addressed as Miss Rosemary Ijeoma Wogu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Rosemary Ijeoma Nwachukwu.

All former document remains valid.

ABSUTH and General public take note.

AGUOCHA: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Aguocha Grace Olachi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Igbokwe Grace Olachi. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

JIDERE: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Jidere Ozioma Ben C. now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Esonwune Ozioma Ben C. All former documents remain valid.

IMSU/NYSC and general public take note

Signed: Sp Friday U. Onoja Divisional Police Officer Awada Division

3X2 CAC PUBLIC NOTICE SPACE FOR SALE

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME tt

tt

OWOEYE: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Owoeye Yetunde Mercy now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Fanilola Yetunde Mercy former documents remain valid Ekiti State College of Health Science and Technology and general public take note

CHANGE OF NAME tt

CHANGE OF NAME tt

OLAYINKA: Formerly known and addressed as Omotoso Moses Oluremi now wish to be known, called and addressed as Oluremi Moses Olayinka. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME tt

CHANGE OF NAME tt

CHANGE OF NAME tt

CHANGE OF NAME tt

CHANGE OF NAME tt

PUBLIC NOTICE (GENERAL TITLE FORM A)

I, Chimele Usuwa Abengowe of C/O Dept of Medicine ABU Teaching Hospital, Kaduna make oaths and say as follows: That my original Certifcate of Occupancy No 32 M.T.P 84 got missing along Suleja-Minna road.

That all effort made to trace the said original Certificate of Occupancy proved abortive. That, I swear on this affidavit to enable me get new original Certificate of Occupancy from the authority concern. That I make this solemn declaration conselentiouly believing the same to be true and by virtue of the provision of the Oaths Act, 1990 Date........... ...................

DEPONENT I certify that the above declaration has been interpreted to the declarant and that he/she appears clearly to understand the same and affixed his/her mark to it in my presence. ................

Date: 24/10/2013

.....................

INTERPRETER

Sworn at Magistrate Court in Minna This 24 day of Oct 2013 Before me.

COMMISSIONER FOR OATHS Fees paid....N20.00 Receipt No....446304 Date...24/10/2013

Notice is hereby given to the general public that the above named Ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under Part ‘ C ‘ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

1. Prim. Proph. Most Sr. Apostle Fapohunda Olugbenga Samuel 2. Snr. Moth. In Isr. Fapohunda Moromoke 3. Proph. Fapohunda Oluwasola Michael 4. Iya Ijo Lady Leader Oyedele Lucia 5. Evang. Busari Adekunle Moses 6. Proph. Fapohunda Tolulope Ruth 7. Lady Leader Adeniji Oluwakemi

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To preach the Gospel of Christ Jesus.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: TRUSTEES

CHANGE OF NAME

t

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE VICTORIOUS SISTERS CLUB

This is to inform the general public, that the above named club has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. 1 of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Mrs. M. O. Bakare 2. Mrs. J. O. Okunade 3. Mrs. E. Okocha 4. Mrs. E. A. Olomu 5. Mrs. S. Adepitan

-

President Vice President Financial Secretary Treasurer Secretary

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

The aims and objectives of the club amongst other things shall bei. To provide a platform for social and cultural interaction. ii. To provide humanitarian services to challenge persons iii. To empower members through education and capacity building for self- sustenance and awareness. iv. Any other activities that would enhance the achievement of ( i- iv )

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: BARR. MIKE EJARUNE 08023433584

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

GOOD ROCK OF SALVATION SPIRITUAL CHURCH OF CHRIST ALADURA

t

OBIWUMI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Obiwumi Funke Opeoluwa, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oluwashina Funke Opeoluwa.

All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

OGUNJIMI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Ogunjimi Yetunde Janet now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Wehinse Yetunde Janet. All former documents remain valid. Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo and general public take note.

NIGER STATE JUDICIARY FORM 26 GENERAL FORM OF AFFIDAVIT

CHANGE OF NAME

NWAMINA: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Rosemary Nwamina now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Rosemary Nkeosenyem Ofunne. All former documents remain valid. general public take note.

NWANGWU: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Nwangwu Uzoamaka Doris now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Okoli Uzoamaka Doris. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and General public should take note.

UDOCHIA SOCIAL CLUB OF NIGERIA

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

CHANGE OF NAME

DUMEBI: Formerly known and addressed as Ruth Dumebi Egbonyi now wish to be known and addressed as Egbonyi Ruth Edo. All former documents remain valid. General public take note CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

BADMOS: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Badmos Yetunde Iyabode now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Olabode Yetunde Iyabode. All former documents remain valid Moba Local Government and general public take note

CHANGE OF NAME

t

ODUFADERIN: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Adetola Adeola Kafayat now wishes to be known and addressed as Mrs Adetola Adeola Odufaderin. All former documents remain valid. General public please note.

CHANGE OF NAME tt

DUROJAIYE: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Durojaiye Oluranti Iyabo Mercy now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Owolabi Oluranti Iyabo former documents remain valid Ekiti State Hospitals Management Board, Nursing and Midwivery Council of Nigeria and general public take note

CHANGE OF NAME tt

ADEDAYO: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Awe Bolatito Abiodun now wish to be known, called and addressed as Mrs Adedayo Bolatito Abiodun. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME tt

NNALUO : Formerly known and addressed as Miss Theresa Okunna Nnaluo now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Theresa Okunna Ogugua. All former documents remain valid.

General public note.

CHANGE OF NAME tt

IGWE: Formerly known and addressed as Igwe Chinasa Nnoduka, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Chukwu Chinasa Nnoduka. All former document remains valid,Nysc and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

t

CHANGE OF NAME

t

MBAH: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Mbah Benedicta now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Nwafor Benedicta. All former documents remain valid. N.Y.S.C and general public take note.

KOLAPO: Formerly known and addressed as Miss kolapo Bukola Abidemi now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs OluOluremi Bukola Abidemi. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

t

ALABA: Formerly known and addressed as Mrs.Alaba Rabiat now wish to be known and addressed as Miss. Bello Rabiat. All former documents remain valid The general public and Keystone Bank please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME tt

OGUNRINDE: Formerly known and addressed as Ogunrinde Bolarinwa Simeon now wish to be known, called and addressed as Ogunrinde Oluwapelumi Simeon.

All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME tt

RASAKI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Rasaki Clementina Temitope now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Niniola Kadijat Temitope. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC, MAPOLY and general public take note

CHANGE OF NAME tt

NWAGU: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Nwagu Chinazo Oluebube now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Nwuba Chinazo Oluebube. All former documents remain valid.

General public note.

CHANGE OF NAME tt

MOSES: Formerly known and addressed as Christopher Moses Ibukunoluwa now wish to be known and addressed as Hotenyi Moses Ibunkunoluwa. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME tt

ONWUKA: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Onwuka Catherine Amaka now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Orjiakor Catherine Amaka. All former documents remain valid.

Federal College of Education and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME tt

OYEYEMI: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Oyeyemi Folashade Olamide now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Hassan Folashade Olamide. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and general public take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

GOLDEN LEGEND CLUB OF LAGOS

Notice is hereby given to the general public that the above named club has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under Part ‘ C ‘ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

1. Mr Joseph Chikaodili Ezeh 2. Mr Abel Etti 3. Mr Benjamin Emeka Okeke 4. Mr Frank Ikediashi 5. Mr Simeon Chilaka Ebonugwu.

- President - Secretary

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

1 To create a forum for members of the club to socialize and render emotional financial and moral support to each other 2 To promote love, mutual help, mutual understanding, assistance, co-operation, interaction and fraternal relationship amongst the members of club 3 To assist, help, and support any member of the club in need in whatever way possible.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: SIMON EVIVIE LEGAL PRACTITIONER 08023138966,07025024186.

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE WORD AND HAND OF GOD EVANGELICAL MINISTRIES.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named club has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission under part “C” of the Companies and Allied matters Act, N0: 1 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission under part “C” of the Companies and Allied matters Act, N0: 1 1990.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

1 Pastor Kayode Simeon Akinrinola 2 Lady Evangelist Goodness Akinrinola 3 Brother Adebayo Oloworaran 4 Sister Annie Ngosi 5 Pastor Olufemi Adeola.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

THE TRUSTEES ARE: Barr. Wisdom Onuoha Mr. Edmond Ugorji Mr. Ebere Opara Engr. Uzoma Osuagwu Mr. Humphrey Okorocha

-

Chairman Treasurer Provost Secretary Member.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To assist members on economic development.

2. To cater for the general interest of members.

3. To empower members who are among the less privilege in the society.

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: BARR. (MRS) EVANGELINE .O. NDUKWE 08037904083.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

- Chairman

(a) To work for the promotion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (b) To promote the education of the under- privileged in line with the principles of the Gospel (c) To initiate or support activities aimed at relieving people from spiritual or physical illness.

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: MIKE ‘DUMBI IJEH ESQ M. DUMBI-IJEH & ASSOCIATES 53 OPEBI ROAD, IKEJA.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Emenike, Uchebo strike again

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

53

Sport

“It’s always a pleasure to play Roger (Federer). He’s the hero here and for me my biggest inspiration,” –JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO

54

Crush Iran, Glo tasks Eaglets …Hails Falconets’ victory over S/Leone

T

Keshi

Int’l friendly: Keshi expects tough battle in Jordan

S

uper Eagles’ coach, Stephen Keshi, has said he expects Jordan to give his team of local league players a tough match today.

Jordan will use today’s friendly to prepare for a 2014 World Cup final playoff against Uruguay.

“Jordan has been together for a while and they play Uruguay in the World Cup play-off, so we are playing a very strong

team and it would be a difficult game,” Keshi warned ahead of the first-ever clash between the two countries at this level.

Nigeria will use this match to begin preparations for next year’s CHAN in South Africa.

Keshi has handed a chance to several new comers like central midfielder Olayinka Oyeleke of promoted Crown FC to

stake a claim for places in his CHAN squad.

He said he has been satisfied with the fitness level of the players.

“The performance is okay. They are really pushing hard to be there.

It’s not easy, some of them are new and it’s their first time, so I expect the early panic I have seen from them,” he said.

“But in all, I am impressed at their fitness

level. We will continue to do our best but it’s just that the time is too short for us to do anything before the Jordan game.”

Eagles are expected to open training camp for CHAN in December.

They are drawn against hosts South Africa, Mali and Mozambique in the first round of the tournament strictly for players featuring in their various local leagues in Africa.

Rodgers guarantees Moses shirt

L

iverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers, has allayed fears over the first-team future of Nigerian winger, Victor Moses.

Moses was an unused substitute in the Reds’ 4-1 win over West Bromwich Albion at Anfield on Saturday.

Brazilian, Lucas Leiva was drafted in as Moses’ replacement but Rogers has now moved to clarify the situation insisting that his Nigerian dynamite has not lost his place

in the first-team.

Liverpool’s comprehensive win coupled with the side’s impressive allround display has now raised eyebrows in some quarters with some questioning the ability of Moses to force his way back to reckoning in the firstteam.

Rodgers however insists Moses is still part of the first-team.

“Moses has obviously done very well for us since his arrival on loan from Chelsea. I only dropped

Moses on duty for Nigeria

him (from the team that beat WBA) for tactical reasons. He’s still very much part of the first team,” he told ITV. The 22-year-old starlet has made five league appearances and scored

once since completing his loan switch from London on transfer deadline day.

Moses who is also a regular in the Nigeria national team has scored five goals in 14 appearances for the Super Eagles.

he sponsor of Nigerian national teams, Globacom, has enjoined the Golden Eaglets to ensure qualification for the quarter-finals of the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates by emerging victorious in their clash with Iran tomorrow.

Eaglets have won two games and drew one as they clinched top position in Group F, scoring 14 goals and conceding four.

“Our Golden Eaglets have an awesome scoring record going into this encounter with Iran and we urge them to re-enact their winning streak in the game so as to proceed to the last eight,” Globacom said in a statement in Lagos yesterday.

“With the superlative form displayed by the team so far, we are confi-

dent that Nigeria can go all the way to win the trophy on November 8,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, Globacom has congratulated the Falconets for defeating their Sierra Leonean counterparts 10-0 in the first leg final round of the Canada 2014 FIFA U-20 Women World Cup qualifier in Abuja on Saturday.

“We are pleased that the Falconets demonstrated their prowess in style and we urge the coaches to look beyond the second leg in Freetown and begin preparation for the World Cup in March next year,” the statement further said.

Today’s Matches Italy

v

Mexico

Japan

v

Sweden

Brazil

v

Russia

Honduras

v

Uzbekistan

Falconets to remain in camp – NFF JOEL AJAYI ABUJA

T

he Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has described the 10-0 whitewash by the Falconets over their Sierra Leone counterparts in the U-20 Women World Cup qualifier first leg match as spectacular, but warned the team not to take anything to chance as they approach the second leg tie slated to hold in Freetown in two weeks’ time.

Speaking shortly after watching the Falconets pummel their West African neighbours at the weekend in Abuja, Chairman of NFF’s technical committee, Barr Chris Green, said the team was still work in progress as they would remain in camp ahead of their next encounter.

“The team is just work in progress. They just

started and spent three weeks in camp to produce this kind of result which is highly commendable.

It’s very inspiring and encouraging to us. They will stay more in camp because the level we want them to attend they have are not there yet,” Green said.

But the team’s coach, Peter Dedevbo, was quick to disagree saying “the second leg is just for us to go and wrap it up. With this victory, the team will play better. This is the first time the team was playing a match of this nature. I knew they will win but I wasn’t expecting as many as 10 goals.

“Going to Sierra Leone for the second leg is a mere formality, however, I will continue to work on any area of their deficiencies in order to make them stronger for tougher challenges ahead”.

54

Sport

Monday, October 28, 2013

Nightmare for City as Nastasic gifts Torres late winner

Governor’s Cup: Unseeded Barbieri topples former champion

F

ernando Torres capitalised on a defensive slip from Matija Nastasic to earn Chelsea a dramatic late win over Manchester City.

The defender nodded the ball over his goalkeeper Joe Hart, allowing Torres to nip in an score from a tight angle.

It snatched three vital points for Chelsea after Sergio Aguero had earlier slammed in his 10th goal of the season to equalise Andre Schurrle’s opener.

The in-form City striker outpaced the Blues defence to lash Samir Nasri’s through pass beyond a despairing Petr Cech early in the second half.

A resurgent Torres had earlier crossed for Schurrle to tap in his first goal for the club, but the Spaniard looks as though he would be made to rue missing a gilt-edged opportunity in the first half.

Thinking that he had been flagged for offside, he lost his composure and lashed a Ramires through ball over the bar. The result leaves Chelsea second in the table, while City slip to 7th.

Torres

STORIES: YEMI OLUS

I

Borini stunner settles derby

F

abio Borini wrote himself into Wearside folklore as he came off the bench to fire Sunderland to derby victory over Newcastle and lift them from the foot of the Barclays Premier League table.

The 22-year-old Italian, signed on loan from Liverpool, struck with an 85th-minute piledriver to secure just a second home league win for the Black Cats over their neighbours since 1980 and a first in the league this season.

His intervention came as the Magpies looked for a winner of their own after Mathieu Debuchy had dragged them back into the game with a 57th-minute equaliser, his first goal for the club.

Steven Fletcher had headed the home side in front with just five minutes gone as Gus Poyet’s men made light of their recent difficulties in his first home game at the helm in front of a crowd of 46,313.

But their commendable efforts to deny

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Newcastle time and space dwindled as they rather ran out of steam and with Cheick Tiote and Yohan Cabaye finally starting to get to grips with the central midfield battle, it was the visitors who looked the more likely winners as time ran down.

However, Borini thought otherwise and his timely intervention handed Poyet a derby victory in his second game in charge to match predecessor Paolo Di Canio’s achievement.

Asked if victory over their fiercest rivals will spring Sunderland into life, the Italian forward told Sky Sports: ‘We hope so. We gave everything today. It is a special game and we need to show that every game is as special to us as this game. We won this game and hopefully we can get a few wins now. If we play like we played today, with a little bit more calm on the ball, we can really improve our game.”

taly’s Gioia Barbieri, was the surprise star of the women’s singles at this year’s Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship having stopped top seed, Tadeja Majeric of Slovenia in the semi finals and defeated second seed Nina Bratchikova in the final played on Saturday.

Bratchikova, a former Governor’s Cup winner and an Australian Open player, who also played in the second round of the 2013 US Open, could not finish her match against the in-form unseeded Italian star as she bowed to an aggravated knee injury in the third set of the women’s singles final which ended 3-6,6-3,3-0 (rtd).

Barbieri described her victory as a deserving one, adding: “I’m happy to have won this championship because it is worth every second that I spent in Lagos in the last two weeks. Nina played better than I did in the first set and that got me scared but I did not lose hope. Finally, I won and I’m the undisputed champion. I’m going to Chinese Taipei after leaving Lagos.”

Coming from a disappointing loss in the final of Men’s Singles of Futures 1, Croatian No. 4 seed, Ante Pavic was too much for the tournament’s No. 2, Indian Jeevan Neduchezayan in the men’s singles final as he won in two straight sets 6-4, 6-3.

Pavic, who lost the final of the first leg to his compatriot, world’s junior tennis champion, Dorna Coric, said “I think I played very well against Jeevan because he is also technically sound. I guess my patience paid off at the end.

“It has been two weeks of total enjoyment here in the city of Lagos and I really enjoyed every moment I spent. There is no doubt that I will come to this great city again because the Governor’s Cup and Lagos will always be in my history book.”

Meanwhile, the finals of the inaugural Governor’s Cup Junior Tennis were a delight to watch. Martins Abamu beat Michael Osewa in two straight sets of 4-1,6-4 to win the male category, while twin sisters, Destiny and Essence Martins slugged it out in the female category, but it was Destiny who won 1-4,4-2,10-5.

Director of Strategies, Etisalat Nigeria, Ndidi Okpaluba (left) presenting a trophy to the winner of the women’s singles, Gioia Barbieri of Italy.

N5.8m for grabs at Lagos International Swimming Classics

I

Borini

n continuation of the series of events lined up for the Lagos Sports Classics, the Main Organising Committee (MOC) has staked over N5.8milion for the four-day Lagos International Swimming Classics.

The swimming classics is expected to commence on November 7 to 10 at Teslim Balogun Stadium with athletes competing in the open and schools categories.

According to the Chairman of MOC, Wahid Oshodi, the classics is being organized to expose athletes to international standard and also to attract top athletes to the tournament.

“The swimming classics is also one of the series of events line up for the Lagos Sports Classics and

we hope to stage another world class event just as we have done during the table tennis and chess tournaments,” he said.

Over 300 swimmers are expected to jostle for honours at the championship with most of Nigeria’s top swimmers yearning to be part of the competition.

The tournament director, Babatunde Fatai-Williams, the tournament has been sanctioned by the African Swimming Confederation (CANA) and it hopes to attract the best swimmers in the continent.

“Hopefully by this week, we will be able to confirm the profile of the some of the foreign swimmers that will grace the championship.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Monday, October 28, 2013

55

Emenike, Uchebo strike again IKENWA NNABUOGOR

N

igerian striker Michael Uchebo continued his new found goal scoring form for Cercle Brugge, scoring again in their 1-1 at Gent on Friday. Uchebo, who opened his season’s account penultimate weekend, fired his side into the lead in the fourth minute after he got at the end of a through pass from a team mate. But the hosts cancelled out what would have been a rare win for the Brugge, hitting the equalizer in the 76th minute as both sides shared a point a piece. Uchebo was, for the second week running, on from start to finish as he grabbed his 10th game of the season. He’s still yet to get on the referees’ books.

In Turkey, Super Eagles’ hit man was not done yet with scoring, netting a brace for table-topping Fenerbache in their 3-1 beating of Gaziantepspor on Saturday. Emenike, who opened his goal account for his side last weekend, put his side’s noses in the front in the 14th minute. He struck again in the 85th minute to ensure victory for the Turkish champions after Senegalese mate Moussa Sow had doubled the lead just before the break. He also saw 90 minutes in the game that had no Joseph Yobo, who is still out injured. Emenike, who went five games without scoring before his season’s opener last weekend, has not appeared eight times in the Turkish Super League. He has only seen yellow once so far.

In Sweden, young Nigerian striker Kennedy Igboananike netted a brace for AIK Stockholm in their 6-0 demolition of Brommapojkarna in the Swedish top flight on Saturday. The Lagos-born star opened the floodgate in the 27th minute and added his second in the added minute of the first half to hand his side a 3-0 lead at the break. Igboananike’s double strike catapulted him to second spot on the scorers’ chart with 13 goals.

His side are not second on the log with 55 points behind Malmo FF, with a game remaining. He has so played 28 times for the former champions. He has also gone into the referees’ books just once.

In Serbia, young Nigerian striker Abiola Dauda was on song for the second consecutive week as he scored a goal for Red Star Belgrade in their 1-1 draw at Radni ki Niš on Saturday, to fire himself to the top of the scorers’ chart.

The former Kalmar of Sweden striker struck in the 45th minute to level things up for the visitors after Radni ki Niš had taken the lead early in the first half.

Dauda was on for 90 minute in the game.

He’s now the leading goal scorer with six goals in the Serbian Super League.

He has played seven games so far.

Back in Turkey, on loan striker Joseph Akpala failed to hit the target for Karabukspor as they were held to 1-1 draw by visiting Antalyaspor on Saturday. Akpala, who opened his season’s account last weekend, was on from start to finish. He has now played three games since he loan switch from Germany’s Werder Bremen this season.

Igboananike

Emenike

On the Antalyaspor side was his compatriot Promise Isaac, whose season’s no score jinx continued. But he saw 90 minutes of action. Promise, who ended last season with 10 goals will have to wait till next weekend, to try his luck again. He has now gone eight games without finding the back of the net. He’s only on the referees’ books once so far this season.

Still in Turkey, Super Eagles players Uche Kalu and Godfrey Oboabana were in action for Caykur Rizespor but were pummelled 4-1 at fourth-placed Eski ehirspor on Sunday. The game also saw the return of former Enyimba striker Kalu, who played his first game for his side in seven games due to injury. Kalu was however only good enough for 45 minutes as he was pulled out at the start of second and his replacement Cameroonian Leonard Kweuke scored Rizespor’s consolatory goal. Kalu has now made four appearances for the newly-promoted side. Oboabana saw 90 minutes of action, his second start and outing since he made his league debut last weekend. He had earlier made his first Rizespor bow in a Cup game.

In England, forgotten Super Eagles striker Victor Anichebe was on for 90 minutes for West Brom who were destroyed 4-1 at rampant Liverpool on Saturday. The former Everton is yet to get on the score sheet for his new side. He was making his fifth appearance for the Baggies so far this season.

Still in England, out of favour Super Eagles striker Osaze Odemwingie was on from start but did not finish the game for Cardiff City, who shared a point after drawing 1-1 at Norwich City on Saturday. The former West Brom star was replaced at the start of second half.

He has only scored once for the Welsh side on five appearances so far.

Uchebo

Euro Leagues Results England

Chelsea

2–1

Man. City

Crystal Palace

0–2

Arsenal

Aston Villa

0–2

Everton

Liverpool

4–1

West Brom

Manchester 3–2 United

Stoke City

Norwich City

0–0

Cardiff City

Southampton

2–0

Fulham

Sunderland

2–1

Newcastle United

France Nantes

0–1

Olympique 2–3 Marseille

Lille Reims

Bastia

1–0

Nice

Guingamp

2–1

Ajaccio

Lorient

2–1

Sochaux

Toulouse

0–5

Rennes

Valenciennes

0–1

Evian TG

2–0

Montpellier

Bordeaux

Spain Rayo Vallecano

0–3

Real Valladolid

Málaga

0–5

Celta de Vigo

Barcelona

2–1

Real Madrid

Elche

0–1

Granada

Levante

3–0

Espanyol

Sevilla

2–1

Osasuna

Super Eagles striker Shola Ameobi played from the bench for Newcastle United, who were beaten 2-1 at Sunderland on Sunday. Ameobi replaced French striker Loic Remy in the 70th minute and failed to get on the score sheet. The game with his second since the 2013/14 season started and he’s yet to open his goal account. His younger brother, Sammy, was also in action but for just four minutes after the England

junior international was introduced in the 86th minute. Sammy has so far made four appearances, all from the substitutes’ bench.

In Russia, Super Eagles winger Ahmed Musa was surprisingly not on the score sheet in resurgent CSKA Moscow’s massacre of Krasnodar on Sunday. The champions had suffered five straight defeats that wickedly shot them down the ladder but chose to come back to winning ways in style with the Sunday’s demolition, with Musa seeing 90 minutes of action. He’s still on five goals from 14 games so far this season.

Still in Russia, it was rare start for Super Eagles striker Victor Nsofor, who was on for Lokomotiv Moscow as they beat Rubin Kazan 2-1 on Sunday. Nsofor was however, pulled out for Brazilian star Maicon at the start of second half in the sweet victory that catapulted the Railway Men to second spot on the log.

That was Nsofor’s third outing for Lokomotiv this season and he’s yet to score.

In Ukraine, estranged Super Eagles’ midfielder Haruna Lukman saw only 23 minutes of action for Dynamo Kiev in their 1-0 victory of Illichivets’ on Sunday. Lukman was introduced in the 67th minute in the game which also saw his compatriot and Eagles’ striker Brown Ideye undressed. Haruna has made 12 appearances for Dynamo Kiev so far this season. He has also scored three goals and bagged five yellow cards.

In France, Super Eagles number goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama was in top form for Lille last Friday as they beat Nantes 1-0 away from home as Lille shot themselves to second spot on the log.

Enyeama was on from start to finish as he earned his 11th consecutive appearance for the three-time French champions. He has been on the referees’ books just once.

WORLD RECORD

Vol. 03 No.709 Monday, October 28, 2013

G

N150

HIGHEST DEATH TOLL FROM MASS SUICIDE IN ANCIENT TIMES As reported by the historian Flavius Josephues (c.37-100), some 960 Jewish zealots committed suicide by cutting each others’ throats at Masada, Israel, in AD 73, as the palace was being beseiged by Romans.

Osun counter-revolutionary undercurrents

od, give Nigerians leaders of profound wisdom, knowledge and understanding to make their grasp of the intricate dynamics of governance total.

Given the self centredness and shallowness on display in the nation’s corridors of power, I always shudder when I contemplate on what inform the policy positions of our various leaders on the numerous challenges confronting our dear country. For me, a good policy should be one which promotes the greatest happiness of the greatest majority.

I do not know how many of our present crop of political leaders subscribes to utilitarian values of leadership. The popular imagination is that Nigeria is a huge desert of inept leaderships with few oases of entities parading purposeful and sparkling leaders. One of them, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the governor

HeartBeat callistus Oke

Callistusoke@nationalmirroronline.net 08054103275 (SMS ONLY) anthonykila@mail.com of the State of Osun, is the focus of my article.

In his South West abode, charlatanism is a much disparaged leadership paradigm.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the region’s foremost political leader in history, lit the light of progressive politics, and with his disciples such as Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Chief Bisi Onabanjo, Chief Bola Ige, and Pa Adekunle Ajasin, among other too many to list, he gave new meaning to governance and established the benchmark for progressivism.

Which was why the counterrevolution that swept the progressives out of power in 2003 burnt out very fast; and the likes of Ogbeni Aregbesola are now on the saddle.

He is a chip off the old block, radiating such candescence of Awoism. He displays such rare passion on issues of Osun State’s comprehensive development that you would think his political life, on daily basis, begins and ends with the State of Osun.

This is why I find it curious that his Education Reform as it affects the reclassification and merger of schools in the state has been met with stiff opposition from Christian leaders. And in justifying the opposition, all kinds of untruths have been peddled. The leadership of CAN in the state, especially the Baptist clerics, have created the impression that they remain the owners of all schools bearing such name and must therefore, resist any attempt to obliterate the Baptist values the schools are known for.

To avoid making blind postulations, I made several calls and did extensive investigations. Here are some of my findings. First,

THERE IS NO DOUBT THE MILITARY PERVERTED SOME

OF THE NATION’S CHERISHED VALUES…IN THEIR SELF

SERVING MESSIANIC MISSION TO SAVE NIGERIA FROM

‘UNPATRIOTIC POLITICIANS all the primary and secondary schools taken over in Osun State since 1975 have remained under the total control of the state government. The implication is that any school with the tag Baptist, Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Apostolic and Ansar ud Deen, etc, only exist as such in name with the religious organizations having nothing to do with their funding and administration. Second, the current Education Reform is the product of an elaborate and exhaustive engagement of stakeholders, so named Education Summit, and held in February 2011 for two days with Professor Wole Soyinka presiding. And lastly, the opposition is nothing but the manifest cravings of those behind it for a dying legacy.

My investigation took me to Dr Isiaka Ayodele Owoade, Special Adviser on Education to Governor Aregbesola. I asked him two questions in the first instance. First if there are independent/private schools in the state, and second if the voluntary agencies could still establish faith schools in the state if they so desire. To the two questions he answered in the affirmative. Then I raised the issue of

compensation for the owners of the schools.

His response to this last question was that there were demands for compensation by the various religious groups after the takeover in 1975, but that such demands were dropped no sooner they were made when the authorities then computed the contributions of the state to the maintenance of each of these schools and they discovered that they would indeed make refund to the state if they pursued their line of argument!

I am a Catholic and a product of a Catholic secondary education. I have been living with the aberration of ladies turning up for St Patrick’s College, Iwaro-Oka, Ondo State Old Students Association meeting. This was a single school up till the end of the 1973/74 session! There is no doubt the military perverted some of the nation’s cherished values, including religious education, in their self serving messianic mission to save Nigeria from unpatriotic politicians. Some of the contradictions spawned by such intervention have created lingering distortions in our collective psyche. But life must go on.

Some states have since handed over the faith schools in their domain to their original owners. But in the State of Osun, this has not happened. And so the rumpus over Aregbesola Education Reform is an unnecessary distraction. Curiously, even among the critics of the policy, none has accused the governor of nonperformance. The profound renewal in the state’s education sector has been roundly commended. But what remains problematic is the use of subterfuge by some religious leaders to hint at an ownership that has no legal basis.

My advice for this set of religious leaders is to start all over. One of the fruits of Pentecostalism in the South West region and indeed the entire nation is the new generation universities built by Deeper Life Bible Church, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Mountain of Fire, Living Faith Church World Wide (Winners Chapel) etc. There is nothing stopping the Baptists and any other religious group, from engaging in new secondary schools development in the state to compete with Aregbesola schools!

Sport Extra

W

Serena beats Li Na, retains WTA title

orld number one, Serena Williams, fought back superbly to beat Li Na 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 and retain her WTA Championships title.

Li, the world number

three from China, raced ahead and secured the first set in Istanbul with her fourth set point.

But Williams, 32, levelled the match and clinched her 11th title of the year in two hours and

nine minutes.

The American has won 78 of 82 matches this year and will finish the year as the top ranked player for the third time in her career after 2002 and 2009.

It was her fourth WTA

Championships success and she is the first player to defend the title since Justine Henin in 2007.

She is the eighth female player to win 11 or more titles in a year and the first since Martina

Hingis claimed 12 in 1997.

In the first WTA final between two players over 30, Li made a confident start to take the opening set against Williams, who was showing signs of faNFF President, Aminu Maigari tigue.

Serena

Printed and Published by Global Media Mirror Ltd: Head Office: Mirror House, 155/161 Broad Street, Lagos Tel: 07027107407, Abuja Office: NICON Insurance House, Second Floor, Central Business District Area, Abuja Tel: 08070428249, Advert hotline: 01-8446073, Email: mail@nationalmirroronline.net. Editor: BOLAJI TUNJI. All correspondence to PMB 10001, Marina, Lagos.

Printed simultaneously in Lagos, Abuja and Ondo State. ISSN 0794-232X.